openarms Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Hey all. I was at my vets today and they were down one vet nurse and the lady behind the desk said it was because one of the nurses has Q fever. They had a Cat with a c section and all got it somehow. She didnt really explain what it was though but did say that they can imunise against it but normally only abortior (cant spell it) workers need them but now they know it can be transmitted by pets? Do i have this right? Can anyone explain what this is? I'm very curious.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullbreedlover Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 'Query fever' – usually shortened to 'Q fever', was named by Dr John Derrick, who described an outbreak of a febrile illness that occurred among abattoir workers in 1935. He gave the blood from some of his patients to two microbiologists; Sir MacFarlane-Burnet and Dr R. Freeman, who injected it into guinea pigs and isolated the organism responsible – a bacterium belonging to the rickettsial family now called Coxiella burnetii. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Transmission Coxiella burnetii is highly infectious and very hardy – it can survive in dust or soil for a year or more, and can travel in dust for long distances in the wind. Animals that breathe the dust become infected – cattle, sheep, goats (particularly feral or wild goats), as well as domestic dogs, cats and native animals including kangaroos and bandicoots. These animals are carriers of the disease. They don't show any symptoms themselves but the bacteria multiplies in the placental tissues, amniotic fluids and membranes, and in their mammary glands. When they give birth they shed the bacteria. They also shed it through their faeces, urine, milk, and blood. Humans can pick up the bacteria when they come into contact with these materials (or something contaminated by them like straw, wool, hair or hides). Humans may breathe in the bacteria in droplets, dust or dried matter in the air, or ingest it via unpasteurised milk from an infected animal. Those most at risk are abattoir workers (and their sub-contractors), sheep shearers, and farmers. But anyone who comes into contact with animals can be infected, including mechanics, farm and station hands, vets, shearers and wool classers, livestock buyers and auctioneers, and pelt and hide processors. Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Symptoms Q fever has an incubation period of one to four weeks – in other words, it can take up to four weeks between exposure and the first symptoms. Usually it starts with a sudden high fever with muscle pain and severe headache symptoms – similar to influenza. There may be chills, sweats, cough, muscle pains and fatigue. These symptoms usually last seven to 10 days and the person recovers completely – though recovery may take longer in older people. Some people get complications. Between five and 15 per cent of patients develop a post-Q fever chronic fatigue syndrome that can last many months. Sometimes Q fever can cause a form of pneumonia or hepatitis. And in a small percentage of cases, about 2 per cent, it persists in a chronic form and can cause inflammation of the heart valves and/or hepatitis. This chronic form is very difficult to cure. After a person recovers from Q Fever, they are usually immune for life and can't get infected again. Some people are exposed to Q fever and don't develop the disease (about half who are infected by it), and these people get immunity to it as well. Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Treatment The diagnosis of Q fever is made by taking a blood test. People who have been exposed to Coxiella burnetii develop antibodies to the organism in their blood and the blood test can pick them up and confirm the diagnosis. Fortunately Q fever responds rapidly to treatment with antibiotics such as tetracycline or erythromycin. Chronic Q fever is more difficult to treat. Most people with post-Q fever chronic fatigue syndrome don' t respond to antibiotic treatment. People with chronic heart disease from Q fever usually need surgery to replace their damaged heart valves. Top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vaccination For people working with infected animals, it's almost impossible to avoid exposure. So the focus is on preventing the disease. Fortunately there's an effective vaccine available, called Q-vax, made from dead C. burnetii.. It confers protection within two weeks of being given and protection is long lasting. It's recommended for everyone likely to come into contact with infected animals. But before a person is vaccinated, it's important to know if a person has immunity or not. If they've been exposed in the past, they will already have immunity to C. burnetii. and don't need to be vaccinated. People who are already immune can have severe reactions if given the vaccine, so they need to know their status before they get the shot. Vaccination isn't usually given to children under 16 years. All workplaces at risk of Q fever infection should offer vaccination to employees and contractors. They should also deny entry to those who haven't been vaccinated unless they can be shown to have immunity. Workplaces should adopt safe work practices: they should provide good ventilation, implement good hygiene practices such as safe handling and disposal of animals, carcasses, offal and hides, and safe handling of pregnant animals. Placental and other birth material should be burnt or buried. We work in an abbatoir. We have been vaccinated agianst Q fever Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shazzapug Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Very informative, thankyou Stonebridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Oh- I knew about goats etc..but had not heard about cats/dogs being a worry ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monah Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 my girlchild was vacc years ago for Q fever as she works with big animals. you usually have 'tests' before the vacc. as it has been known to affect the heart. great post stonebridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smooch Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Great post Stonebridge. I had Q fever about 9 years ago, I thought I was going to die from it. Spent over a week in bed. Still suffer from chronic fatigue at times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betsy Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 I think the Q originally stood for Queensland, but because of the negative connotations, it was changed to Q, then Query fever. (There was a recent article about illness named after places in the Medical Journal of Australia). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
openarms Posted January 12, 2011 Author Share Posted January 12, 2011 Yeah i heard it affects the heart too thats what the vet nurse was saying about the nurse who was away sick with it. It had affected her heart.. Poor thing.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everythings Shiny Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 I got the vacc after Smooch got sick. I was 15 and the doctors were refusing to inoculate me. After much arguing (I was handling the same cattle mum was), they relented and I got it. Vacc hurt like a B**** though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sydoo Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 I had to be vaccinated at uni as my research involved lab work with bovine material. I haven't heard anything about it since. Hope the vet nurse is recovering well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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