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Small Q-fever outbreak from raw milk
Jun. 24th, 2011 12:18 pmRaw milk sickened two Washtenaw County women with the first locally reported cases of Q fever in at least 20 years, according to the Washtenaw County Public Health Department.
The women, as well as a female Monroe County resident, became ill with the bacterial infection after consuming milk from a Livingston County farm, a Michigan Department of Community Health release states.
Less common than e. coli, salmonella, campylobacter, or listeria, but since some unknown (but estimated high) number of cattle and goats carry Coxiella burneti, the bacteria that causes Q fever, it's bound to happen. Approximately 30% of people who handle cattle or goats (even if they don't eat them or drink the milk) have antibodies indicating exposure to the bacteria. It typically causes "flu-like symptoms" (oh, how I hate that phrase) that resolve in a few days - 2 weeks without progressing to anything life-threatening, so is massively under-diagnosed at the time of illness. It can, however, sometimes lead to severe issues like fatal pneumonia, or that most fun of fun experiences, central nervous system inflammation.
The women, as well as a female Monroe County resident, became ill with the bacterial infection after consuming milk from a Livingston County farm, a Michigan Department of Community Health release states.
Less common than e. coli, salmonella, campylobacter, or listeria, but since some unknown (but estimated high) number of cattle and goats carry Coxiella burneti, the bacteria that causes Q fever, it's bound to happen. Approximately 30% of people who handle cattle or goats (even if they don't eat them or drink the milk) have antibodies indicating exposure to the bacteria. It typically causes "flu-like symptoms" (oh, how I hate that phrase) that resolve in a few days - 2 weeks without progressing to anything life-threatening, so is massively under-diagnosed at the time of illness. It can, however, sometimes lead to severe issues like fatal pneumonia, or that most fun of fun experiences, central nervous system inflammation.
