Table 2.
Presenting Features of Febrile Inpatients With and Without Acute Q Fever (n = 483), Northern Tanzania, 2007–2008
| Variable | Acute Q fever (n = 24) | Negative for acute Q fever (n = 459) | OR (95% CI); P |
| Demographic characteristics | |||
| Age, median (range) years | 25.5 (0.7–72.7) | 7.3 (0.2–84.6) | P = .009 |
| Female sex | 16/24 (66.7) | 214/452 (47.4) | 2.2 (.92–5.3); P = .067 |
| Urban | 13/20 (65.0) | 213/405 (52.6) | 1.7 (.65–4.3); P = .278 |
| Greater than primary educationa | 2/17 (11.8) | 57/197 (28.9) | 0.33 (.07–1.5); P = .129 |
| Onset after dry seasonb | 16/24 (66.7) | 203/459 (44.2) | 2.7 (1.1–6.3); P = .021 |
| Signs and symptoms | |||
| Days ill prior to presentation, median (IQR) days | 7.0 (3.5–17.5) | 4.0 (3.0–10.0) | P = .087 |
| Inpatient length of stay, median (IQR) days | 4.5 (3.5–10.5) | 7.0 (4.0–9.0) | P = .475 |
| Temperature, median (IQR) °C | 38.7 (38.2–39.1) | 38.4 (38.0–39.1) | P = .125 |
| Systemic | |||
| Headachea | 14/17 (82.4) | 144/197 (73.1) | 1.7 (.47–6.2); P = .406 |
| Chronic fever | 6/24 (25.0) | 87/453 (19.2) | 1.4 (.54–3.6); P = .486 |
| Rigorsa | 10/17 (58.8) | 143/196 (73.0) | 0.53 (.19–1.5); P = .215 |
| Lymphadenopathy | 3/23 (13.0) | 38/452 (8.4) | 1.6 (.46–5.8); P = .440 |
| Respiratory | |||
| Cough | 18/24 (75.0) | 300/457 (65.7) | 1.6 (.60–4.0); P = .346 |
| Chronic cougha | 6/17 (35.3) | 30/196 (15.3) | 3.0 (1.0–8.9); P = .035 |
| Crepitations/crackles | 14/23 (60.9) | 195/451 (43.2) | 2.0 (.86–4.8); P = .097 |
| Breathing difficulties | 10/24 (41.7) | 156/459 (34.0) | 1.4 (.60–3.2); P = .441 |
| Gastrointestinal | |||
| Jaundice | 2/23 (8.7) | 6/454 (1.3) | 7.1 (1.3–37.9); P = .007 |
| Abdominal tendernessa | 4/17 (23.5) | 22/196 (11.2) | 2.4 (.72–8.2); P = .138 |
| Vomiting | 8/24 (33.3) | 134/457 (29.3) | 1.2 (.50–2.9); P = .675 |
| Diarrhea | 4/24 (16.7) | 43/459 (20.5) | 0.78 (.26–2.3); P = .651 |
| Hepato- or splenomegaly | 5/23 (21.7) | 38/457 (8.3) | 3.1 (1.1–8.8); P = .028 |
| Laboratory findingsc | |||
| Anemia | 14/23 (60.9) | 154/450 (34.2) | 3.0 (1.3–7.1); P = .009 |
| Leukopenia | 4/23 (17.4) | 23/450 (5.1) | 3.9 (1.2–12.5); P = .013 |
| Thrombocytopenia | 1/23 (4.4) | 78/450 (17.3) | 0.22 (.03–1.6); P = .104 |
| HIV seropositive | 8/23 (34.8) | 108/464 (23.3) | 1.7 (.70–4.1); P = .231 |
| Evidence of other infection | |||
| Bacterial zoonosesd | 5/24e (20.8) | 75/459 (16.3) | 1.3 (.49–3.7); P = .564 |
| Malaria | 0/23 (0.0) | 20/455 (4.4) | NA |
| Bloodstream infections | 2/24f (8.3) | 45/459g (9.8) | 0.84 (.19–3.7); P = .813 |
| Other infectionsh | 1/24 (4.2) | 6/459 (1.3) | 3.3 (.38–28.6); P = .254 |
| Chest radiograph findings | |||
| Infiltratesa | 9/15 (60.0) | 33/140 (23.6) | 4.9 (1.6–15.2); P = .003 |
NOTE. Data are proportion (%) of patients, unless otherwise indicated. CI, confidence interval; HIV, human immunodeficiency virus; IQR, interquartile range; OR, odds ratio; NA, not applicable.
Data available for adult and adolescent patients only.
Dry season defined as September–October 2007, February 2008, and June–August 2008.
Reference ranges [24, 25] were as follows: Patients <1 year of age: (1) hemoglobin level, 8.1–13.2 g/dL; (2) leukocyte count, 5.0–17.3 × 109 cell/L; (3) lymphocyte count, 3.3–11.8 × 109 cell/L; and (4) platelet count, 25–708 × 109 cell/L. Patients 1–5 years of age: (1) hemoglobin level, 8.1–13.9 g/dL; (2) leukocyte count, 3.7–13.2 × 109 cell/L; (3) lymphocyte count, 2.0–8.4 × 109 cell/L; and (4) platelet count, 79–650 × 109 cell/L. Patients 6–12 years of age: (1) hemoglobin level, 10.3–14.7 g/dL; (2) leukocyte count, 3.7–9.1 × 109 cell/L; (3) lymphocyte count, 1.6–4.7 × 109 cell/L; and (4) platelet count, 94–530 × 109 cell/L. Patients 13–17 years of age: (1) hemoglobin level, 10.0–14.9 g/dL for females, 10.8–17.0 g/dL for males; (2) leukocyte count, 3.2–10.3 × 109 cell/L; (3) lymphocyte count, 1.4–4.2 × 109 cell/L; and (4) platelet count, 107–482 × 109 cell/L for females, 119–458 × 109 cell/L for males. Patients ≥18 years of age: (1) hemoglobin level, 11.1–15.7 g/dL for females, 13.7–17.7 g/dL for males; (2) leukocyte count, 3.0–7.9 × 109 cell/L; (3) lymphocyte count, 1.1–3.0 × 109 cell/L; and (4) platelet count, 150–395 × 109 cell/L.
Includes spotted fever group rickettsiosis (SFGR), typhus group rickettsiosis, leptospirosis, and brucellosis.
Serologic evidence for SFGR (4), brucellosis (1), and leptospirosis (1).
Blood culture positive for nontuberculous mycobacteria (1) and Salmonella Typhi (1).
Blood culture positive for Salmonella Typhi (18), Streptococcus pneumoniae (6), Escherichia coli (6), Mycobacterium tuberculosis (4), and other (14).
Cryptococcal antigen positive.