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Epidemiology and Infection logoLink to Epidemiology and Infection
. 2005 Apr;133(2):377–380. doi: 10.1017/s0950268804003383

An outbreak of Q fever in a prison in Italy.

G Starnini 1, F Caccamo 1, F Farchi 1, S Babudieri 1, B Brunetti 1, G Rezza 1
PMCID: PMC2870260  PMID: 15816166

Abstract

We observed an outbreak of Q fever in a prison population. Overall, 65 of the 600 prison inmates developed the disease. The location of the prison cells had no apparent effect on the risk of infection. The outbreak was probably due to exposure to dust contaminated by a passing flock of sheep, which at the time of the outbreak was engaged in lambing. These findings highlight the possible emergence of Q fever in settings and populations not normally thought of as being at risk of exposure to the infection.

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