Acute Q fever in patients with an influenza-like illness in regional New South Wales, Australia.

Rodrigo, C; Walker, G; Sevendal, ATK; Nguyen, C; Stelzer-Braid, S; Rawlinson, W; Graves, S; Gidding, HF; Stenos, J; Lloyd, AR

Acute Q fever in patients with an influenza-like illness in regional New South Wales, Australia.

Rodrigo, C Walker, G Sevendal, ATK Nguyen, C Stelzer-Braid, S

Rawlinson, W Graves, S Gidding, HF Stenos, J Lloyd, AR

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Publisher:: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 2024, 18, (8), pp. e0012385
Issue Date:: 2024-08

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Rodrigo, C
dc.contributor.author	Walker, G
dc.contributor.author	Sevendal, ATK
dc.contributor.author	Nguyen, C
dc.contributor.author	Stelzer-Braid, S https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6037-9305
dc.contributor.author	Rawlinson, W
dc.contributor.author	Graves, S
dc.contributor.author	Gidding, HF
dc.contributor.author	Stenos, J
dc.contributor.author	Lloyd, AR
dc.contributor.editor	Biswal, M
dc.date.accessioned	2025-01-13T03:39:51Z
dc.date.available	2024-07-18
dc.date.available	2025-01-13T03:39:51Z
dc.date.issued	2024-08
dc.identifier.citation	PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 2024, 18, (8), pp. e0012385
dc.identifier.issn	1935-2727
dc.identifier.issn	1935-2735
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/183358
dc.description.abstract	INTRODUCTION: Query (Q) fever is a zoonosis caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii typically presenting as an influenza-like illness (ILI) with or without hepatitis. The infection may be missed by clinicians in settings of low endemicity, as the presentation is clinically not specific, and there are many more common differential diagnoses for ILI including SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS: Residual serum samples were retrospectively tested for Phase 1 and 2 Q fever-specific IgM, IgG, IgA antibodies by indirect immunofluorescence and C. burnetii DNA by polymerase chain reaction. They had not been previously tested for Q fever, originating from undiagnosed patients with probable ILI, aged 10-70 years and living in regional New South Wales, Australia. The results were compared with contemperaneous data on acute Q fever diagnostic tests which had been performed based on clinicians requests from a geographically similar population. RESULTS: Only one (0.2%) instance of missed acute Q fever was identified after testing samples from 542 eligible patients who had probable ILI between 2016-2023. Laboratory data showed that during the same period, 731 samples were tested for acute Q fever for clinician-initiated requests and of those 70 (9.6%) were positive. Probability of being diagnosed with Q fever after a clinician initiated request was similar regardless of the patients sex, age and the calendar year of sampling. CONCLUSION: In this sample, Q fever was most likely to be diagnosed via clinician requested testing rather than by testing of undiagnosed patients with an influenza like illness.
dc.format	Electronic-eCollection
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	Public Library of Science (PLoS)
dc.relation.ispartof	PLoS Negl Trop Dis
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1371/journal.pntd.0012385
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	06 Biological Sciences, 11 Medical and Health Sciences
dc.subject.classification	Tropical Medicine
dc.subject.classification	31 Biological sciences
dc.subject.classification	32 Biomedical and clinical sciences
dc.subject.classification	42 Health sciences
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Q Fever
dc.subject.mesh	New South Wales
dc.subject.mesh	Middle Aged
dc.subject.mesh	Adult
dc.subject.mesh	Adolescent
dc.subject.mesh	Male
dc.subject.mesh	Aged
dc.subject.mesh	Female
dc.subject.mesh	Young Adult
dc.subject.mesh	Child
dc.subject.mesh	Influenza, Human
dc.subject.mesh	Retrospective Studies
dc.subject.mesh	Coxiella burnetii
dc.subject.mesh	Antibodies, Bacterial
dc.subject.mesh	Diagnosis, Differential
dc.subject.mesh	COVID-19
dc.subject.mesh	Immunoglobulin M
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Coxiella burnetii
dc.subject.mesh	Q Fever
dc.subject.mesh	Immunoglobulin M
dc.subject.mesh	Antibodies, Bacterial
dc.subject.mesh	Diagnosis, Differential
dc.subject.mesh	Retrospective Studies
dc.subject.mesh	Adolescent
dc.subject.mesh	Adult
dc.subject.mesh	Aged
dc.subject.mesh	Middle Aged
dc.subject.mesh	Child
dc.subject.mesh	New South Wales
dc.subject.mesh	Female
dc.subject.mesh	Male
dc.subject.mesh	Influenza, Human
dc.subject.mesh	Young Adult
dc.subject.mesh	COVID-19
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Q Fever
dc.subject.mesh	New South Wales
dc.subject.mesh	Middle Aged
dc.subject.mesh	Adult
dc.subject.mesh	Adolescent
dc.subject.mesh	Male
dc.subject.mesh	Aged
dc.subject.mesh	Female
dc.subject.mesh	Young Adult
dc.subject.mesh	Child
dc.subject.mesh	Influenza, Human
dc.subject.mesh	Retrospective Studies
dc.subject.mesh	Coxiella burnetii
dc.subject.mesh	Antibodies, Bacterial
dc.subject.mesh	Diagnosis, Differential
dc.subject.mesh	COVID-19
dc.subject.mesh	Immunoglobulin M
dc.title	Acute Q fever in patients with an influenza-like illness in regional New South Wales, Australia.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	18
utslib.location.activity	United States
utslib.for	06 Biological Sciences
utslib.for	11 Medical and Health Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Life Sciences
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.rights.license	This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.date.updated	2025-01-13T03:39:49Z
pubs.issue	8
pubs.publication-status	Published online
pubs.volume	18
utslib.citation.issue	8

Abstract:

INTRODUCTION: Query (Q) fever is a zoonosis caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii typically presenting as an influenza-like illness (ILI) with or without hepatitis. The infection may be missed by clinicians in settings of low endemicity, as the presentation is clinically not specific, and there are many more common differential diagnoses for ILI including SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS: Residual serum samples were retrospectively tested for Phase 1 and 2 Q fever-specific IgM, IgG, IgA antibodies by indirect immunofluorescence and C. burnetii DNA by polymerase chain reaction. They had not been previously tested for Q fever, originating from undiagnosed patients with probable ILI, aged 10-70 years and living in regional New South Wales, Australia. The results were compared with contemperaneous data on acute Q fever diagnostic tests which had been performed based on clinicians requests from a geographically similar population. RESULTS: Only one (0.2%) instance of missed acute Q fever was identified after testing samples from 542 eligible patients who had probable ILI between 2016-2023. Laboratory data showed that during the same period, 731 samples were tested for acute Q fever for clinician-initiated requests and of those 70 (9.6%) were positive. Probability of being diagnosed with Q fever after a clinician initiated request was similar regardless of the patients sex, age and the calendar year of sampling. CONCLUSION: In this sample, Q fever was most likely to be diagnosed via clinician requested testing rather than by testing of undiagnosed patients with an influenza like illness.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/183358