It started with a query! Don’t take Q fever for granted

Veterinary advice for farmers

In Ireland, up to 70% of milk bulk tanks have Q fever antibodies.

Back in the 1930s in Australia, a lot of people were suffering from flu-like symptoms.

They had fever, headaches, muscle and joint pains, and other symptoms like coughing, sweating, vomiting, and diarrhoea.

This ailment was causing a lot of puzzlement, and eventually, scientists discovered the cause of it.

This disease was called Q fever, with the Q standing for query. This was done so that people would not be stigmatised at the most prevalent locations for picking up this disease.

Apparently, much like the present-day Covid situation, over half of the people that get it do not show any symptoms. They are asymptomatic.

Recently, I was asked a question by a client of mine about Q fever.

He had noticed on the most recent results sheet from his bulk tank surveillance that there was a rather high value for Q fever. This test has been newly introduced by some of the co-ops.

It is very interesting to read up on the situation and find out what it might mean for us all.

This Q fever is caused by a bacterium called Coxiella Burnetii after the scientist who discovered it.

It is a bug that can survive for years, and is not killed by drying, heat or many of the more commonly used disinfectants.

It is found worldwide in humans and animals alike. It is usually spread by inhaling the spores of the bacteria, and in ruminants (cattle, sheep and goats), it tends to settle in the mammary gland and in the womb.

It can be spread on from here in the milk, and around the time of an abortion or giving birth. 

From the milk point of view, we are extremely lucky that this bug is killed by pasteurisation, but there are still some people out there who like to drink milk straight from the bulk tank, which can be a dangerous practice.

Because the bug is aerosol-spread, anyone involved around calving or an abortion can be at risk of picking up this infection. This means that farmers and vets are at risk every time they go to work in these situations.

If the cow or ewe is infected, then the fluids that come out at this time may contaminate our clothes and dry in.

When these clothes are handled later, maybe when they are being put into the washing machine, they can cause a risk to those handling them.

According to research in Belgium in 2008, the way Q fever affects our cows and sheep is that it can cause late pregnancy abortions, repeat breeding, and weak calves.

Other reports associate it with sub-clinical mastitis.

The majority of animals that get the disease may show no symptoms of the disease at all.

Recent studies show that, in Ireland, up to 70% of bulk tanks show levels of Q fever antibodies

. This means there are a lot of animals in Ireland with this disease, and therefore, we should be a lot more vigilant about how we carry out our work.

Careful handling of afterbirths, especially those following an abortion, is paramount. When these, or a foetus, are sent to the post-mortem lab, then Q fever should be on the list of possible causes.

In parts of Australia, people who work with animals, whether it be on a farm, in a laboratory, or in an abattoir, their family members, and those they come into contact with, are all at risk, and are advised to get vaccinated. They should wear masks when in at-risk situations and should always wash their hands and arms with soapy water after handling animals.

So Q fever poses risks to us that maybe we should not take for granted. Take care out there.