ð é«åžçç
ð äžé éé»
- è: Coxiella burnetii â small gram - obligate intracellular bacterium; highly resistant to environment (forms spore-like small-cell variant â survives years in dust)
- Reservoir: å®¶ç (cattle, sheep, goats â main); also cats, dogs, ticks, wild ruminants
- Transmission:
- Aerosol inhalation (#1 â even brief exposure, dust from contaminated farms, slaughterhouses, abattoir, wool, hides)
- Unpasteurized dairy (uncommon)
- Tick (rare in human)
- NOT person-to-person
- Highly infectious â 1 organismå¯èŽææ (bioterror Cat B)
- 2 forms:
- Acute Q fever (~ 60% asymptomatic, 40% sx):
- Fever, severe headache, myalgia, pneumonia, hepatitis (âgranulomatous donutâ doughnut granuloma classic on liver biopsy)
- Self-limited 2 wk usually
- Chronic Q fever (~ 5% of acute, especially with predisposing valve/aneurysm):
- Culture-negative endocarditis (#1 chronic form)
- Vascular infection (mycotic aneurysm, vascular graft)
- Chronic fatigue (Q-fever fatigue syndrome â QFS)
- Osteo, hepatitis chronic
- Risk for chronic: pre-existing valve disease, vascular graft / aneurysm, immunocompromise, pregnancy
- Dx:
- Serology IFA (Phase II Ab acute > Phase I; chronic = Phase I > Phase II â antigenic phase variation key for diagnosis)
- PCR of blood / tissue
- Treatment:
- Acute: Doxycycline 100 mg PO bid à 14d
- Chronic endocarditis / vascular: Doxycycline + Hydroxychloroquine ⥠18 months (valve), ⥠24 months (graft / aneurysm)
- Pregnant + acute: TMP-SMX (avoid doxy)
1ïžâ£ 现èåž
- Coxiella burnetii â obligate intracellular, small gram - rod
- Forms spore-like small-cell variant (SCV) â extreme environmental resistance (years)
- 2 antigenic phases:
- Phase I (virulent form) â in nature, in chronic infection
- Phase II (avirulent variant) â appears in lab culture, in acute infection
- Phase variation used diagnostically
- Bioterror Category B (highly infectious aerosol)
2ïžâ£ æµè¡ç
åž
- Global zoonosis; high in dairy/farming regions
- High prevalence: France, Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Australia, USA western
- Netherlands 2007-2010 outbreak: 4000+ human cases from goat farms (largest peacetime)
- Occupational risk: farmer, veterinarian, abattoir worker, wool worker
- Wind-borne: distant cases possible (km from source)
- Most cases sporadic; outbreaks linked to specific farms
3ïžâ£ Acute Q Fever
Clinical
- 60% asymptomatic
- 40% symptomatic:
- Self-limited fever (high) + severe headache + myalgia
- Atypical pneumonia (often mild, CXR with rounded opacities)
- Hepatitis (transaminitis, often without jaundice; âdoughnutâ granuloma on liver biopsy classic â fibrin ring around central fat vacuole)
- Rare: meningoencephalitis, pericarditis, myocarditis, rash
- 2 wk duration typical, self-limited
Treatment
- Doxycycline 100 mg PO bid à 14d â shortens duration, prevents chronic
- Pregnancy: TMP-SMX 160/800 PO bid à until delivery (long course; prevents placental infection); doxy avoided
4ïžâ£ Chronic Q Fever
Risk Factors
- Pre-existing valve disease (greatest risk)
- Vascular graft / aneurysm
- Immunocompromise
- Pregnancy (placental seeding)
- ~ 5% of acute cases â chronic (higher with risk factors, up to 30% in valvular)
Treatment Chronic
- Doxycycline 100 mg PO bid + Hydroxychloroquine 200 mg PO tid (combination)
- HCQ alkalinizes phagosome â enhances doxy activity
- Duration:
- Endocarditis native: 18 months minimum (or normalization Phase I IgG)
- Endocarditis prosthetic / vascular graft / aneurysm: 24 months minimum
- Monitor Phase I IgG q3 mo, doxy/HCQ levels, drug toxicity (G6PD, retinal HCQ, photosensitivity)
- Valve surgery as needed
Pregnancy Chronic
- TMP-SMX during pregnancy â switch to doxy + HCQ postpartum
- Long-term follow
5ïžâ£ Diagnosis
Serology IFA (Indirect Fluorescent Antibody)
- Phase I + Phase II IgM, IgG titers
- Acute: Phase II > Phase I (Phase II IgG ⥠1:200, IgM ⥠1:50)
- Chronic: Phase I > Phase II (Phase I IgG ⥠1:800-1024 highly suggestive)
- Paired sera if equivocal
PCR
- Blood (acute), tissue (valve, aneurysm, abscess) â high sens chronic
- Specialty / CDC labs
Other
- Culture (BSL-3 only â bioterror)
- Liver biopsy: âdoughnut granulomaâ (acute)
- TEE: vegetation (chronic endocarditis)
- PET-CT: vascular infection / vegetation
6ïžâ£ Prevention
- Avoid raw / unpasteurized dairy
- Occupational PPE in high-risk farming
- Q-Vax vaccine (Australia only â pre-employment screening for high-risk)
- Outbreak: surveillance + animal management (vaccinate goats / sheep)