Q Fever in France, 1985–2009

To assess Q fever in France, we analyzed data for 1985–2009 from the French National Reference Center. A total of 179,794 serum samples were analyzed; 3,723 patients (one third female patients) had acute Q fever. Yearly distribution of acute Q fever showed a continuous increase. Periodic variations were observed in monthly distribution during January 2000–December 2009; cases peaked during April–September. Q fever was diagnosed more often in patients in southeastern France, where our laboratory is situated, than in other areas. Reevaluation of the current positive predictive value of serologic analysis for endocarditis was performed. We propose a change in the phase I (virulent bacteria) immunoglobulin G cutoff titer to >1,600. Annual incidences of acute Q fever and endocarditis were 2.5/100,000 persons and 0.1/100,000 persons, respectively. Cases and outbreaks of Q fever have increased in France

Q Fever Outbreak in Homeless Shelter

Urban outbreaks of Q fever have occurred after exposure to slaughterhouses or parturient cats. We detected an outbreak of Q fever in a homeless shelter in Marseilles. Investigations showed that the main factors exposing persons to Coxiella burnetii were an abandoned slaughterhouse, used for an annual Muslim sheep feast, and wind

Human q fever

Q fever is a ubiquitous zoonosis due to Coxiella burnetii, a strict intracellular bacterium. Transmission to man occurs mainly through the inhalation of infected aerosols, arising mostly from livestock deliveries. The main characteristic of Q fever is its clinical variability, acute forms being associated with primary infection (flu-like syndrome, pneumopathy, hepatitis). The clinical expression also varies with age and sex. Chronic Q fever (mainly associated with endocarditis) may develop in people at risk (patients with valvular disease or immunosuppression or pregnant women), hence the importance of serological screening for Q fever in people at risk, and of the detection of valvular anomalies in patients with acute Q fever.La fièvre Q est une zoonose ubiquitaire due à Coxiella burnetii, bactérie intracellulaire stricte. La transmission à l'Homme se fait principalement par inhalation d'aérosols infectés, en particulier lors de la mise bas des mammifères. La principale caractéristique de la fièvre Q est la variabilité de son expression clinique, avec des formes aiguës lors de la primo-infection (syndrome pseudo-grippal, pneumopathie, hépatite). L'expression clinique varie également selon et le sexe. Chez les sujets à risque (patients atteints d'une valvulopathie ou immunodéprimés, femmes enceintes), la fièvre Q peut évoluer vers une forme chronique (provoquant généralement une endocardite), d'où l'importance du dépistage sérologique de la fièvre Q chez les sujets à risque et de la recherche de toute anomalie valvulaire devant un cas de fièvre Q aiguë

Wind in November, Q Fever in December

An investigation in southern France confirms the role of wind in Coxiella burnetii transmissio

A case of Q fever after liver transplantation

Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever, is a zoonosis that causes both acute and chronic disease in humans. Few cases have been reported in solid organ transplant recipients, and this case highlights the need to include Q fever in the differential diagnosis for fever of unknown origin in solid organ transplant hosts.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138856/1/tid12737_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138856/2/tid12737.pd

Rickettsia mongolotimonae: a rare pathogen in France.

We report a second case of laboratory-confirmed infection caused by Rickettsia mongolotimonae in Marseille, France. This rickettsiosis may represent a new clinical entity; moreover, its geographic distribution may be broader than previously documented. This pathogen should be systematically considered in the differential diagnosis of atypical rickettsioses, especially rashless fevers with lymphangitis and lymphadenopathy, in southern France and perhaps elsewhere

Variabilidade Intrassazonal Extrema da Temperatura do ar à Superfície na Península Antártica

A Península Antártica (PA) é uma das regiões da Terra onde o aquecimento foi mais acelerado nos últimos 50 anos. Há indícios de que esta tendência esteja associada, em parte, ao aumento da atividade intrasazonal (IS) tropical. Utilizando dados de estações, este estudo mostrou que a variabilidade da temperatura do ar à superfície (Tsup) sobre a PA apresenta um pico estatisticamente significativo na escala IS (78 dias). A influência da Oscilação Madden-Julian (MJO) sobre os eventos IS da Tsup na PA foi quantificada: mais de 60% dos eventos foram associados à MJO, via trem de ondas de Rossby com periodicidade em torno de 30-40 dias. Portanto, outros mecanismos precisam ser investigados para explicar a variabilidade IS da Tsup na PA não associada à MJO (NMJO). Tanto os eventos NMJO quanto o total de eventos (MJO + NMJO) foram mais frequentes na primavera. Além disso, nos últimos 12 anos analisados (1998-2009) houve uma maior frequência de eventos MJO do que NMJO, principalmente na primavera e no inverno