Q Fever

摘要

Q: I am about to deploy to the Middle East, and I heard that there was a risk of getting something called Q fever. What exactly is Q fever, and should I be concerned? FS: Coxiella burnetii, the bacteria that causes Q_ fever, is found worldwide and often finds a host in farm animals, especially goats, cattle, and sheep. Though those who work in animal husbandry are at higher risk for being exposed to C. burnetti, livestock farming is not a requirement for the transmission of Q_fever to humans. C. burnetti bacteria is highly infectious and hardy in the environment. It has the potential to be carried downwind as far as six miles from its source. Because of this inhalational hazard, there are hundreds of documented cases of Q_ fever infections among American and British military personnel deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the Aviation community, dusts containing the bacterium can be aerosolized by rotor wash and inhaled unknowingly, especially in the arid environments of the Middle East. These dusts can be contaminated by animal feces, urine or birthing products.