Identification of risk factors for chronic Q fever, the Netherlands

• Published in: Emerging infectious diseases Vol. 18; no. 4; pp. 563 - 570
• Main Authors: Kampschreur, Linda M, Dekker, Sandra, Hagenaars, Julia C J P, Lestrade, Peter J, Renders, Nicole H M, de Jager-Leclercq, Monique G L, Hermans, Mirjam H A, Groot, Cornelis A R, Groenwold, Rolf H H, Hoepelman, Andy I M, Wever, Peter C, Oosterheert, Jan Jelrik
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases 01.04.2012; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Subjects: acute Q fever; Adult; Age Factors; Aneurysm - complications; Aneurysms; Area Under Curve; Cardiac Surgical Procedures - adverse effects; Case-Control Studies; case–control study; chronic Q fever; Coxiella burnetii; Disease Outbreaks; Health aspects; Humans; Implants, Artificial; Infection; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Multivariate Analysis; Neoplasms - complications; Netherlands; Prosthesis; Q fever; Q Fever - epidemiology; Q Fever - etiology; Renal Insufficiency - complications; Risk Factors; Young Adult; Netherlands
• ISSN: 1080-6040; 1080-6059
• DOI: 10.3201/eid1804.111478

Since 2007, the Netherlands has experienced a large Q fever outbreak. To identify and quantify risk factors for development of chronic Q fever after Coxiella burnetii infection, we performed a case-control study. Comorbidity, cardiovascular risk factors, medications, and demographic characteristics from 105 patients with proven (n = 44), probable (n = 28), or possible (n = 33) chronic Q fever were compared with 201 patients who had acute Q fever in 2009 but in whom chronic Q fever did not develop (controls). Independent risk factors for development of proven chronic Q fever were valvular surgery, vascular prosthesis, aneurysm, renal insufficiency, and older age.