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Home
Q fever
Q fever
Statutory notification
Q fever infection is a notifiable infectious disease in Western Australia.
See
notifiable communicable disease case definitions (Word 1.29MB)
.
Notifications should be made using the communicable disease notification form for
metropolitan residents (PDF 209KB)
or
regional residents (PDF 208KB)
.
For notification of regional residents see contact details of
public health units
.
See also description of
statutory medical notifications for WA Health
.
Public health management
Important information
Infectious agent:
Coxiella burnetii
bacteria.
Transmission:
Q fever transmission occurs most commonly through air-borne dissemination of
Coxiella
in dust or aerosols from premises contaminated by placental tissues, birth fluids, and excreta of infected animals. Contamination also occurs through direct contact with contaminated materials, such as wool, straw, and laundry.
Incubation period:
Usually from 2 to 3 weeks, depending on the size of the infecting dose.
Infectious period:
Direct person-to-person transmission occurs rarely, if ever, although contaminated clothing may be a source of infection.
Case exclusion:
As recommended by doctor.
Contact exclusion:
Do not exclude.
Treatment:
Antibiotic treatment is available.
Immunisation:
Recommended for those at occupational risk of infection. Before vaccination, a skin test must be conducted to determine prior exposure and immunity to Q fever. Vaccination is contraindicated in cases of previous infection or vaccination for Q fever. See
Australian Immunisation Handbook, Department of Health – Q fever (external site)
.
Case follow-up:
Is conducted by
public health units (Healthy WA)
.
Guidelines
Australian Immunisation Handbook, Department of Health – Q fever (external site)
The Australian Q Fever Register (external site)
Factsheet for people in high risk occupations (PDF 163KB)
Notifiable disease data and reports
Notifiable infectious disease dashboard
General infectious disease reports
Produced by
Public Health
Related links
Q fever (Healthy WA)
Q fever vaccination