Q Fever: Background Information for Clinicians

Q fever is a zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetii (C. burnetii), a species of bacteria that is distributed worldwide.
Cattle, sheep, and goats are common reservoirs of C. burnetii, and the bacteria shed from these animals are responsible for most human infections.
In the United States, Q fever outbreaks have resulted mainly from occupational exposure involving veterinarians, workers at meat processing plants, sheep and dairy workers, livestock farmers, and researchers at facilities housing sheep.
In 1999, Q fever became a notifiable disease in the United States, but reporting is not required in many other countries.
The disease is thought to be under-diagnosed and under-reported so scientists cannot reliably assess how many cases of Q fever have actually occurred worldwide.