Q Fever menu
Q fever, a disease with under estimated consequences
Q Fever has the potential to have significantÂ
impact on livestock health and production.
Q Fever presents a risk to the reproductive performance of your herd. Do you recognise these signs?
What is Q Fever?
Q Fever is a disease caused by infection with the bacterium Coxiella burnetii, which can infect humans, cattle, goats, sheep and many other mammals as well as reptiles, ticks and birds.
It was first identified in Australia in 1935 after an outbreak of disease in abattoir workers.
The bacteria can survive for extended periods of time in the environment, for example up to 5 months in soil1 and up to 2 years at minus 20oC. The bacteria are also resistant to many commonly used disinfectants.
Alongside environmental persistence the bacteria can be spread up to 11 miles on the wind.
Risk factors for infection are mainly related to the density of ruminants.  An outbreak seen in the Netherlands (2007 – 2010) was linked to a 75-fold increase in goat numbers seen in the preceding 25 years. The bacteria thrive in dry environments and rain has a negative impact on the distribution1.
Infection is generally through inhalation of the bacteria which is shed in large numbers most commonly at parturition (placenta and birth fluids) but also shed in faeces, milk and vaginal mucous. Â Infected animals can shed up to 109 bacteria per gram of placenta2 and inhalation of as little as 10 bacteria can result in disease3.
Q Fever is important due to its zoonotic (ability to infect humans) potential.
Professionals like vets, abattoir workers, farmers, farming employees and families are at increased risk of contracting Q Fever2, the main reservoirs of infection are small ruminants and cattle. Infection usually occurs through inhalation of dust or aerosols containing the organism19.
Prevalence of Q Fever:
In farmed ruminants there is good evidence for high numbers of UK and Irish herds to have been exposed to or have the bacteria circulating.
Coxiella burnetii has been identified worldwide with the exception of New Zealand4. Public health agencies across the globe monitor the cases in humans.
There is a varying prevalence reported in the UK and Ireland5,6,7,8 which include
- 80% prevalence of positive Bulk Milk (BM) ELISA across 225 GB herds
- 70% BM PCR positive in SW EnglandÂ
- 37.9% prevalence of positive Bulk Milk (MB) ELISA across 290 Irish herds
Q Fever is a serious threat to farm profitability, with the cost of days open and the cost of abortions impacting farm profitability.
Discover more about Q Fever
Cattle
Do you recognise the following signs in your herd? Abortion, Premature calving, Stillbirth or Weak new-born calves.
Goat
Do you recognise these signs in your herd of goats? Weak newborn, Abortion, Stillbirth, Premature kidding.
Humans
Professionals like vets, abattoir workers, farmers, farming employees and families are at increased risk of contracting Q Fever2.
Q Fever menu
Q fever, a disease with underestimated consequences
Q Fever has the potential to have significantÂ
impact on livestock health and production.
Q Fever presents a risk to the reproductive performance of your herd. Do you recognise these signs?
What is Q Fever?
Q Fever is a disease caused by infection with the bacterium Coxiella burnetii, which can infect humans, cattle, goats, sheep and many other mammals as well as reptiles, ticks and birds.
It was first identified in Australia in 1935 after an outbreak of disease in abattoir workers.
The bacteria can survive for extended periods of time in the environment, for example up to 5 months in soil1 and up to 2 years at minus 20oC. The bacteria are also resistant to many commonly used disinfectants.
Alongside environmental persistence the bacteria can be spread up to 11 miles on the wind.
Risk factors for infection are mainly related to the density of ruminants.  An outbreak seen in the Netherlands (2007 – 2010) was linked to a 75-fold increase in goat numbers seen in the preceding 25 years. The bacteria thrive in dry environments and rain has a negative impact on the distribution1.
Infection is generally through inhalation of the bacteria which is shed in large numbers most commonly at parturition (placenta and birth fluids) but also shed in faeces, milk and vaginal mucous. Â Infected animals can shed up to 109 bacteria per gram of placenta2 and inhalation of as little as 10 bacteria can result in disease3.
Q Fever is important due to its zoonotic (ability to infect humans) potential.
Professionals like vets, abattoir workers, farmers, farming employees and families are at increased risk of contracting Q Fever2, the main reservoirs of infection are small ruminants and cattle. Infection usually occurs through inhalation of dust or aerosols containing the organism19.
Prevalence of Q Fever:
In farmed ruminants there is good evidence for high numbers of UK and Irish herds to have been exposed to or have the bacteria circulating.
Coxiella burnetii has been identified worldwide with the exception of New Zealand4. Public health agencies across the globe monitor the cases in humans.
There is a varying prevalence reported in the UK and Ireland5,6,7,8 which include
- 80% prevalence of positive Bulk Milk (BM) ELISA across 225 GB herds
- 70% BM PCR positive in SW EnglandÂ
- 37.9% prevalence of positive Bulk Milk (MB) ELISA across 290 Irish herds
Q Fever is a serious threat to farm profitability, with the cost of days open and the cost of abortions impacting farm profitability.
Discover more about Q Fever
Cattle
Do you recognise the following signs in your herd? Abortion, Premature calving, Stillbirth or Weak new-born calves.
Goat
Do you recognise these signs in your herd of goats? Weak newborn, Abortion, Stillbirth, Premature kidding.
Humans
Professionals like vets, abattoir workers, farmers, farming employees and families are at increased risk of contracting Q Fever2.