Author:
Reilly S.,Northwood J. L.,Caul E. O.
Abstract
SUMMARYBetween 1972 and 1988 we have serologically confirmed 103Coxiella burnetiiinfections: 46 were acute, 5 were chronic, 52 represented past infections. Details of 61 cases are presented.Of acute cases 80 % had respiratory involvement; at least 63 % had pneumonias. The incidence (22%) of neurological complications was of particular interest; 40% of these patients had prolonged sequelae. One acutely ill patient died of fulminating hepatitis. Patients with pre-existing pathology or immunosuppression were especially susceptible toC. burnetii.In the absence of acute sera, the complement fixation test alone provided inadequate differentiation between recent and past Q fever: phase II titres persisted at ⋝ 80 for more than 1 year after the acute infection in 15 cases; maximum duration of persistence was 14 years. Three patients acquired high phase I titres.Only 5% of cases had chronic Q fever, but in view of the diverse sequelae observed in this series, we suggest that long-term serological and clinical follow-up of all cases of Q fever is fully justified.
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Subject
Infectious Diseases,Epidemiology
Cited by
50 articles.
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