Q fever: an emerging public health concern in Canada

Abstract

Q fever in humans and coxiellosis in livestock are on the increase in Canada. The progressive spread of Coxiella burnetii takes place in the animal reservoirs of the rickettsia, mainly domestic ruminants. Human Q fever is a reverberation of the coxiellosis situation on our farms. Increasing animal concentration resulting from the industrialization of agriculture and oversight of the infection in livestock permitted the extension of the zoonotic problem on the farms. Initiative for control of coxiellosis, however, is called for by public health interests at the present time to assure occupational health and safety for workers, and the protection of the general population residing in coxiella threatened environments.