Diagnosis and serological follow-up up to 15 months (450 days) after diagnosis of Q fever for three Laboratories of Medical Microbiology (LMM).

*<p>A sample taken within 60 days after diagnosis was not considered as a follow-up sample.</p>†<p>For 13 samples the applicant was unknown (request by an external laboratory).</p><p>NA: not applicable.</p

Cumulative Q fever incidence in the Netherlands from 2007 up to and including 2010, marking the Municipal Health Service regions, highlighting the Municipal Health Service region Hart voor Brabant and the Laboratories of Medical Microbiology, A in 's-Hertogenbosch, B in Tilburg, and C in Veldhoven.

<p>Cumulative Q fever incidence in the Netherlands from 2007 up to and including 2010, marking the Municipal Health Service regions, highlighting the Municipal Health Service region Hart voor Brabant and the Laboratories of Medical Microbiology, A in 's-Hertogenbosch, B in Tilburg, and C in Veldhoven.</p

Regional differences in reported serological follow-up practices by GPs in regions with a Laboratory of Medical Microbiology (LMM) with or without an automatic follow-up system.

<p>Municipalities in the service area of a LMM with follow-up: Heusden, Oss, Maasdonk, Uden, Bernheze, Lith, Landerd, Vught, 's-Hertogenbosch (Den Bosch), Sint Michielsgestel, Veghel, Schijndel, Boekel, Boxtel.</p><p>Municipalities in the service area of a LMM without follow-up: Dongen, Waalwijk, Tilburg, Oisterwijk, Gilze Rijen, Loon op Zand, Sint Oedenrode, Cuijk, Boxmeer, Mill en Sint Hubert, Hilvarenbeek, Sint Anthonis, Haaren, Grave.</p

Answers to knowledge and practice questions of medical practitioners (MPs) comparing those with few (≤10) and many (>10) Q fever patients.

*<p>Excluded are medical practitioners without Q fever patients (n = 30), those who never request serological follow-up (n = 70) or gave not applicable (NA) answers.</p