Skip to main content
PMC home page
Emerging Infectious Diseases logoLink to Emerging Infectious Diseases
. 2001 May-Jun;7(3):413–419. doi: 10.3201/eid0703.010308

Goat-associated Q fever: a new disease in Newfoundland.

T F Hatchette 1, R C Hudson 1, W F Schlech 1, N A Campbell 1, J E Hatchette 1, S Ratnam 1, D Raoult 1, C Donovan 1, T J Marrie 1
PMCID: PMC2631794  PMID: 11384518

Abstract

In the spring of 1999 in rural Newfoundland, abortions in goats were associated with illness in goat workers. An epidemiologic investigation and a serologic survey were conducted in April 1999 to determine the number of infections, nature of illness, and risk factors for infection. Thirty-seven percent of the outbreak cohort had antibody titers to phase II Coxiella burnetii antigen >1:64, suggesting recent infection. The predominant clinical manifestation of Q fever was an acute febrile illness. Independent risk factors for infection included contact with goat placenta, smoking tobacco, and eating cheese made from pasteurized goat milk. This outbreak raises questions about management of such outbreaks, interprovincial sale and movement of domestic ungulates, and the need for discussion between public health practitioners and the dairy industry on control of this highly infectious organism.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (150.5 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BENSON W. W., BROCK D. W., MATHER J. SEROLOGIC ANALYSIS OF A PENITENTIARY GROUP USING RAW MILK FROM A Q FEVER INFECTED HERD. Public Health Rep. 1963 Aug;78:707–710. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Biberstein E. L., Behymer D. E., Bushnell R., Crenshaw G., Riemann H. P., Franti C. E. A survey of Q fever (Coxiella burnetii) in California dairy cows. Am J Vet Res. 1974 Dec;35(12):1577–1582. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. CLARK W. H., LENNETTE E. H., RAILSBACK O. C., ROMER M. S. Q fever in California. VII. Clinical features in one hundred eighty cases. AMA Arch Intern Med. 1951 Aug;88(2):155–167. doi: 10.1001/archinte.1951.03810080023003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Daniele R. P., Dauber J. H., Altose M. D., Rowlands D. T., Jr, Gorenberg D. J. Lymphocyte studies in asymptomatic cigarette smokers. A comparison between lung and peripheral blood. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1977 Dec;116(6):997–1005. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1977.116.6.997. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Derrick E. H. The course of infection with Coxiella burneti. Med J Aust. 1973 May 26;1(21):1051–1057. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Dupuis G., Petite J., Péter O., Vouilloz M. An important outbreak of human Q fever in a Swiss Alpine valley. Int J Epidemiol. 1987 Jun;16(2):282–287. doi: 10.1093/ije/16.2.282. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. ENRIGHT J. B., SADLER W. W., THOMAS R. C. Pasteurization of milk containing the organism of Q fever. Am J Public Health Nations Health. 1957 Jun;47(6):695–700. doi: 10.2105/ajph.47.6.695. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Fishbein D. B., Raoult D. A cluster of Coxiella burnetii infections associated with exposure to vaccinated goats and their unpasteurized dairy products. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1992 Jul;47(1):35–40. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1992.47.35. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Fournier P. E., Marrie T. J., Raoult D. Diagnosis of Q fever. J Clin Microbiol. 1998 Jul;36(7):1823–1834. doi: 10.1128/jcm.36.7.1823-1834.1998. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Graham C. J., Yamauchi T., Rountree P. Q fever in animal laboratory workers: an outbreak and its investigation. Am J Infect Control. 1989 Dec;17(6):345–348. doi: 10.1016/0196-6553(89)90004-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hart R. J. The epidemiology of Q fever. Postgrad Med J. 1973 Aug;49(574):535–538. doi: 10.1136/pgmj.49.574.535. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hawker J. I., Ayres J. G., Blair I., Evans M. R., Smith D. L., Smith E. G., Burge P. S., Carpenter M. J., Caul E. O., Coupland B. A large outbreak of Q fever in the West Midlands: windborne spread into a metropolitan area? Commun Dis Public Health. 1998 Sep;1(3):180–187. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. KAPLAN M. M., BERTAGNA P. The geographical distribution of Q fever. Bull World Health Organ. 1955;13(5):829–860. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Krumbiegel E. R., Wisniewski H. J. Q fever in the Milwaukee area. II. Consumption of infected raw milk by human volunteers. Arch Environ Health. 1970 Jul;21(1):63–65. doi: 10.1080/00039896.1970.10667193. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. LENNETTE E. H., CLARK W. H. Observations on the epidemiology of Q fever in Northern California. J Am Med Assoc. 1951 Feb 3;145(5):306–309. doi: 10.1001/jama.1951.02920230030006. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. LUOTO L., PICKENS E. G. A resume of recent research seeking to define the Q fever problem. Am J Hyg. 1961 Jul;74:43–49. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a120199. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Lang G. H. Serosurvey of Coxiella burnetii infection in dairy goat herds in Ontario. A comparison of two methods of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Can J Vet Res. 1988 Jan;52(1):37–41. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Lang G. H. Serosurvey on the occurrence of Coxiella burnetii in Ontario cattle. Can J Public Health. 1988 Jan-Feb;79(1):56–59. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Marrie T. J., Durant H., Williams J. C., Mintz E., Waag D. M. Exposure to parturient cats: a risk factor for acquisition of Q fever in Maritime Canada. J Infect Dis. 1988 Jul;158(1):101–108. doi: 10.1093/infdis/158.1.101. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Marrie T. J., Embil J., Yates L. Seroepidemiology of Coxiella burnetii among wildlife in Nova Scotia. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1993 Nov;49(5):613–615. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.1993.49.613. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Marrie T. J., MacDonald A., Durant H., Yates L., McCormick L. An outbreak of Q fever probably due to contact with a parturient cat. Chest. 1988 Jan;93(1):98–103. doi: 10.1378/chest.93.1.98. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Marrie T. J. Seroepidemiology of Q fever in New Brunswick and Manitoba. Can J Microbiol. 1988 Sep;34(9):1043–1045. doi: 10.1139/m88-183. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Marrie T. J., Van Buren J., Faulkner R. S., Haldane E. V., Williams J. C., Kwan C. Seroepidemiology of Q fever in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Can J Microbiol. 1984 Jan;30(1):129–134. doi: 10.1139/m84-021. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Marrie T. J., Van Buren J., Fraser J., Haldane E. V., Faulkner R. S., Williams J. C., Kwan C. Seroepidemiology of Q fever among domestic animals in Nova Scotia. Am J Public Health. 1985 Jul;75(7):763–766. doi: 10.2105/ajph.75.7.763. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Maurin M., Raoult D. Q fever. Clin Microbiol Rev. 1999 Oct;12(4):518–553. doi: 10.1128/cmr.12.4.518. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Moore J. D., Barr B. C., Daft B. M., O'Connor M. T. Pathology and diagnosis of Coxiella burnetii infection in a goat herd. Vet Pathol. 1991 Jan;28(1):81–84. doi: 10.1177/030098589102800112. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Ormsbee R., Peacock M., Gerloff R., Tallent G., Wike D. Limits of rickettsial infectivity. Infect Immun. 1978 Jan;19(1):239–245. doi: 10.1128/iai.19.1.239-245.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Peacock M. G., Philip R. N., Williams J. C., Faulkner R. S. Serological evaluation of O fever in humans: enhanced phase I titers of immunoglobulins G and A are diagnostic for Q fever endocarditis. Infect Immun. 1983 Sep;41(3):1089–1098. doi: 10.1128/iai.41.3.1089-1098.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Perry S., Dennie C. J., Coblentz C. L., Cleland S. Minimizing the risk of Q fever in the hospital setting. Can J Infect Control. 1994 Spring;9(1):5–8. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Raoult D., Tissot-Dupont H., Foucault C., Gouvernet J., Fournier P. E., Bernit E., Stein A., Nesri M., Harle J. R., Weiller P. J. Q fever 1985-1998. Clinical and epidemiologic features of 1,383 infections. Medicine (Baltimore) 2000 Mar;79(2):109–123. doi: 10.1097/00005792-200003000-00005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Reimer L. G. Q fever. Clin Microbiol Rev. 1993 Jul;6(3):193–198. doi: 10.1128/cmr.6.3.193. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Serbezov V. S., Kazár J., Novkirishki V., Gatcheva N., Kovácová E., Voynova V. Q fever in Bulgaria and Slovakia. Emerg Infect Dis. 1999 May-Jun;5(3):388–394. doi: 10.3201/eid0503.990309. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Simor A. E., Brunton J. L., Salit I. E., Vellend H., Ford-Jones L., Spence L. P. Q fever: hazard from sheep used in research. Can Med Assoc J. 1984 Apr 15;130(8):1013–1016. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Spicer A. J., Crowther R. W., Vella E. E., Bengtsson E., Miles R., Pitzolis G. Q fever and animal abortion in Cyprus. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 1977;71(1):16–20. doi: 10.1016/0035-9203(77)90198-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. TIGERTT W. D., BENENSON A. S., GOCHENOUR W. S. Airborne Q fever. Bacteriol Rev. 1961 Sep;25:285–293. doi: 10.1128/br.25.3.285-293.1961. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Tissot Dupont H., Raoult D., Brouqui P., Janbon F., Peyramond D., Weiller P. J., Chicheportiche C., Nezri M., Poirier R. Epidemiologic features and clinical presentation of acute Q fever in hospitalized patients: 323 French cases. Am J Med. 1992 Oct;93(4):427–434. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(92)90173-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Tissot-Dupont H., Torres S., Nezri M., Raoult D. Hyperendemic focus of Q fever related to sheep and wind. Am J Epidemiol. 1999 Jul 1;150(1):67–74. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a009920. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. WELSH H. H., LENNETTE E. H., ABINANTI F. R., WINN J. F. Air-borne transmission of Q fever: the role of parturition in the generation of infective aerosols. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1958 Jun 3;70(3):528–540. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1958.tb35409.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Willems H., Thiele D., Frölich-Ritter R., Krauss H. Detection of Coxiella burnetii in cow's milk using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Zentralbl Veterinarmed B. 1994 Nov;41(9):580–587. doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0450.1994.tb00267.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  40. Wisniewski H. J., Krumbiegel E. R. Q fever in the Milwaukee area. I. Q fever in Milwaukee area cattle. Arch Environ Health. 1970 Jul;21(1):58–62. doi: 10.1080/00039896.1970.10667192. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Emerging Infectious Diseases are provided here courtesy of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

RESOURCES