Q Fever strikes again

Press, 6 September 1989, Page 10

Q Fever strikes again

NZPA-AAP London A disease first diagnosed in eight Queensland abattoir workers 50 years ago has suddenly struck down about 100 Birmingham office workers, according to a mqdical expert. Query Fever, or Q Fever as its more commonly known, has been diagnosed in 100 people from the English Midlands since the end of April. Dr Grace Smith, consultant microbiologist from East Birmingham Hospital, said the disease normally affected people who worked with sheep and cattle, like farmers, veterinarians and abattoir workers. “We are mystified as to why people from blue and white collar jobs have come down with it,” she said. Q fever is caused by the organism coxiella burnetti, which can

cause abortions in sheep and cattle. However, cattle rarely get sick from it, although it can easily pass to humans causing fever, headache and severe weight loss as well as atypical pneumonia. “In mild cases most people just think they have the flu,” Dr Smith said. “But in screening for pneumonia we ran several other tests and found they had Q fever. Now we’re trying to research their backgrounds and find a source. So far we haven’t had much luck.” Q fever was first diagnosed in 1937 in a Queensland abattoir. The doctor who treated the eight meat workers was baffled about its exact source so gave it the letter "Q” as in question mark. “Most people think the Q stands for Queensland but it is actually for Query,” she said. Of the 100 Birmingham cases, 80 needed hospitalisation for sev-

eral days. Only 11 per cent of those infected were women. The rest were men from mainly office jobs. “We asked them if they had been near a farm or any agricultural demonstration. There just doesn’t seem to be a common link,” Dr Smith said. Most British farmers — like their Australian counterparts — have built up an immunity to Q fever. The annual incidence of the disease in Britain is only about 150 cases nationally. Although Dr Smith said there had been no reported deaths from Q fever in the district, the organism could manifest itself in a chronic liver infection years after a person suffered a mild form of the disease. Scientists from the national Public Health Laboratory Service have also been involved, but Dr Smith said there had been no evidence thejdisease had spread.