Q fever in the United States: summary of case reports from two national surveillance systems, 2000-2012

• Published in: The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene Vol. 92; no. 2; pp. 247 - 255
• Main Authors: Dahlgren, F Scott, McQuiston, Jennifer H, Massung, Robert F, Anderson, Alicia D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 01.02.2015
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Animals; Cattle - microbiology; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.); Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Goats - microbiology; Humans; Incidence; Male; Middle Aged; Milk - microbiology; Population Surveillance - methods; Prevalence; Q Fever - diagnosis; Q Fever - epidemiology; Q Fever - etiology; Q Fever - mortality; Risk Factors; Sex Factors; Sheep - microbiology; United States - epidemiology; Young Adult; Zoonoses - epidemiology; United States; USA
• ISSN: 0002-9637; 1476-1645
• DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.14-0503

Q fever is a worldwide zoonosis historically associated with exposure to infected livestock. This study summarizes cases of Q fever, a notifiable disease in the United States, reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through two national surveillance systems with onset during 2000-2012. The overall incidence rate during this time was 0.38 cases per million persons per year. The reported case fatality rate was 2.0%, and the reported hospitalization rate was 62%. Most cases (61%) did not report exposure to cattle, goats, or sheep, suggesting that clinicians should consider Q fever even in the absence of livestock exposure. The prevalence of drinking raw milk among reported cases of Q fever (8.4%) was more than twice the national prevalence for the practice. Passive surveillance systems for Q fever are likely impacted by underreporting and underdiagnosis because of the nonspecific presentation of Q fever.