Q-FEVER

Coxiella burnetii is an aerobe gram-negative bacterium belonging to the Coxiellaceae family. It is extremely contagious and highly resistant to environmental factors. Infected sheep represent the major cause of contagion for humans. However, also cattle and goats can transmit the organism to humans by inhalation of contaminated air and contaminated aerosol or by manipulation or ingestion of infected meat and milk.
Pathogen transmission between humans instead has been rarely described.
About half cases of infection in humans does not present clinical symptoms, while in the other cases the symptoms of acute Q Fever infection are high fever, shivers, muscle aches, headache. More serious illnesses, such as pneumonia and liver disease, may appear later.

The disease can be divided into an acute phase and a chronic phase.
During the acute phase it is possible to detect IgM and IgG specific antibodies directed against phase 2 immunogen antigens; high levels of anti-phase 1 antibodies are typical of the chronic disease. Both phase 1 and phase 2 IgG antibodies can persist for several years.