Acute Q fever: an emerging and endemic disease in southern Taiwan

Acute Q fever is a worldwide zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii infection. In Taiwan, cases of acute Q fever increased during 3 y of observation, especially at Kaohsiung County and City in southern Taiwan. From 15 April 2004 to 15 April 2007, a total of 67 cases of acute Q fever were identified at E-Da hospital located at Kaohsiung County. 19 (28.4%) patients had a history of travel in rural areas and only 1 had been outside southern Taiwan. 21 (31.3%) patients had a history of animal contact. 20 (30.8%) of the 65 examined patients had underlying chronic hepatitis B or hepatitis C virus infection. Fever (98.5%), chills (79.1%), headache (79.1%), relative bradycardia (44.8%), elevated aminotransferases (100%), and thrombocytopenia (74.6%) were common manifestations. 12 (19.0%) cases had abnormal findings on chest X-ray. Fatty liver (50.0%) and hepatomegaly and/or splenomegaly (41.9%) were found by abdominal image examinations. 42 (76.4%) of 55 cases had defervescence within 3 d after treatment, whereas 4 (7.3%) had spontaneous remission. Acute Q fever is an endemic infectious disease with hepatitis rather than pneumonia as the major presentation in southern Taiwan and the emergence of Q fever is due to increased alertness for the disease by physicians.