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. 2021 Aug;43(13):109-118.
doi: 10.1016/j.clinmicnews.2021.06.003.

Q Fever: A troubling disease and a challenging diagnosis

Halie K Miller  1 , Rachael A Priestley  1 , Gilbert J Kersh  1
Affiliations

Q Fever: A troubling disease and a challenging diagnosis

Halie K Miller et al. Clin Microbiol Newsl. 2021 Aug.

Abstract

Q fever is a disease caused by the bacterial pathogen Coxiella burnetii. This hardy organism can easily spread long distances in the wind, and only a few infectious aerosolized particles are necessary to cause serious illness. Presentations of Q fever disease can be wide-ranging, allowing it to masquerade as other illnesses and highlight the importance of laboratory testing for diagnosis and treatment. This review summarizes Q fever's epidemiology and clinical presentations and presents classical laboratory diagnostic assays and novel approaches to detecting this troubling disease.

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