Q fever (patient information): Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 6: | Line 6: | ||
==Overview== | ==Overview== | ||
Q fever is an infectious disease that is spread by domestic and wild animals and ticks. | |||
==What are the symptoms of Q fever?== | ==What are the symptoms of Q fever?== | ||
Common symptoms include: | |||
* Dry cough (nonproductive) | |||
* Fever | |||
* Headache | |||
* Joint pain (arthralgia) | |||
* Muscle pains | |||
Other symptoms that may develop include: | |||
* Abdominal pain | |||
* Chest pain | |||
* Jaundice | |||
* Rash | |||
==What causes Q fever?== | ==What causes Q fever?== | ||
Q fever is caused by the bacteria Coxiella burnetii, which lives in domestic animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, birds, and cats. Some wild animals and ticks also carry the bacteria. You can get Q fever by drinking raw (unpasteurized) milk, or after inhaling dust or droplets in the air that are contaminated with animal feces, blood, or birth products. Symptoms usually develop 2 to 3 weeks after coming in contact with the bacteria. This is called the incubation period. Most people may have no symptoms; others may have moderately severe symptoms similar to the flu. If symptoms occur, they may last for several weeks. People at risk for infection include slaughterhouse workers, veterinarians, researchers, food processors, and sheep and cattle workers. Men are infected more often than women, and most people who get Q fever are between 30 and 70 years old. This disease is occasionally seen in children, especially those who live on a farm. In infected children younger than 3 years old, Q fever is usually discovered during a search for the cause of pneumonia. | |||
==Who is at highest risk?== | ==Who is at highest risk?== | ||
You can get Q fever by drinking raw (unpasteurized) milk, or after inhaling dust or droplets in the air that are contaminated with animal feces, blood, or birth products. | |||
==When to seek urgent medical care?== | ==When to seek urgent medical care?== | ||
==Diagnosis== | ==Diagnosis== | ||
Revision as of 02:18, 8 August 2011
For the WikiDoc page for this topic, click here
|
Q fever |
|
Q fever On the Web |
|---|
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Q fever is an infectious disease that is spread by domestic and wild animals and ticks.
What are the symptoms of Q fever?
Common symptoms include:
- Dry cough (nonproductive)
- Fever
- Headache
- Joint pain (arthralgia)
- Muscle pains
Other symptoms that may develop include:
- Abdominal pain
- Chest pain
- Jaundice
- Rash
What causes Q fever?
Q fever is caused by the bacteria Coxiella burnetii, which lives in domestic animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, birds, and cats. Some wild animals and ticks also carry the bacteria. You can get Q fever by drinking raw (unpasteurized) milk, or after inhaling dust or droplets in the air that are contaminated with animal feces, blood, or birth products. Symptoms usually develop 2 to 3 weeks after coming in contact with the bacteria. This is called the incubation period. Most people may have no symptoms; others may have moderately severe symptoms similar to the flu. If symptoms occur, they may last for several weeks. People at risk for infection include slaughterhouse workers, veterinarians, researchers, food processors, and sheep and cattle workers. Men are infected more often than women, and most people who get Q fever are between 30 and 70 years old. This disease is occasionally seen in children, especially those who live on a farm. In infected children younger than 3 years old, Q fever is usually discovered during a search for the cause of pneumonia.
Who is at highest risk?
You can get Q fever by drinking raw (unpasteurized) milk, or after inhaling dust or droplets in the air that are contaminated with animal feces, blood, or birth products.
When to seek urgent medical care?
Diagnosis
Treatment options
Where to find medical care for Q fever?
Directions to Hospitals Treating Q fever
What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?
Possible complications
Sources
- Cardiology patient information
- Congenital disorders patient information
- Dermatology patient information
- Drug patient information
- Emergency medicine patient information
- Endocrinology patient information
- Gastroenterology patient information
- Genetic disorders patient information
- Gynecology patient information
- Hematology patient information
- Infectious disease patient information
- Immunology patient information
- Metabolic disorders patient information
- Neurology patient information
- Neurosurgery patient information
- Obstetrics patient information
- Oncology patient information
- Opthalmology patient information
- Orthopedics patient information
- Otolaryngology patient information
- Pediatrics patient information
- Psychiatry patient information
- Pulmonary patient information
- Rheumatology patient information
- Patient information
- Overview complete
- Disease state
- Template complete