Q fever is a disease caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii. This bacterium naturally infects some animals, such as goats, sheep and cattle. About half of people who become infected develop symptoms, which can be mild to severe, and some may develop a chronic form of the disease.
Sheep, goats and cattle can carry the bacterium and shed it in their milk, urine, feces and birth products (i.e. placenta, amniotic fluid). Direct contact (e.g. touching, being licked) with an animal is not required to become sick with Q fever. You can become infected with Q fever by:
Certain professions are at increased risk for Q fever infection, including veterinarians, meat processing plant workers, dairy workers, livestock farmers and researchers at facilities housing sheep and goats.
Illness typically develops 2-3 weeks after being exposed to the bacterium. Signs and symptoms of Q fever may include fever, chills or sweats, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, chest pain, stomach pain, weight loss and a non-productive cough. Symptoms can be mild or severe. People who develop severe disease may experience infection of the lungs (pneumonia) or liver (hepatitis).
Less than 5% of people who become infected with Coxiella burnetii develop a more serious infection called chronic Q fever. This can occur months or years after the initial infection and often leads to inflammation of the heart valves (endocarditis). Chronic Q fever is more likely to occur in people with preexisting heart valve disease or blood vessel abnormalities or in people with weakened immune systems.
See your healthcare provider if you develop symptoms after spending time with or near animals—particularly sheep, goats and cattle—or in areas where these animals may have been. The symptoms of Q fever are similar to many other diseases, often making diagnosis difficult.
Your healthcare provider might order blood tests to look for Q fever or other diseases. Laboratory testing and reporting of results can take several weeks, so your healthcare provider may start antibiotic treatment before results are available.
Antibiotic treatment with doxycycline is often recommended for people who develop Q fever disease.
For more information on Q fever, please visit the CDC Q fever webpage.
Q fever is a risk for anyone who has contact with sheep, cattle or goats in Indiana, although human illnesses are rarely reported. For more information, please visit our annual report pages.
For Q fever diagnosis, treatment and testing information, click here.
