Q fever cases are on the rise in Victoria, with 77 cases reported to public health officials in 2024.
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Q fever is a reportable zoonotic disease that spreads to humans from animals, including farm, domestic and wild animals.
While people working with animals and animal products are most at risk, because of the wide aerosol radius of the bacteria Coxiella burnetii that causes Q fever, others at risk include their families, and people living or working near roads where livestock and their products are transported.
People can also be exposed to the dust containing bacteria while doing something as simple as mowing their lawn.
In the same way, roadside slashing can release the bacteria from vegetation or soil, to be inhaled by people in the vicinity.
In a Queensland health study, Q fever was found in 5.3 per cent of the rural and remote cohort and five per cent of Brisbane residents.
Symptoms of Q fever can begin within four days or up to six weeks after exposure.
The disease can be debilitating for many years. According to Victoria’s Department of Health, 10-15 per cent of people with severe infections develop chronic fatigue, also known as Q fever fatigue syndrome, which can last for many years.
Long-term complications include heart disease, bone and joint infections and vascular infections.
Initial symptoms of Q fever include high fever with sweating and chills, headaches, muscle pain, joint pain, fatigue, cough and weight loss.
Patients may also develop hepatitis – inflammation of the liver, or pneumonia – infection of the lungs.
In early February, Victoria’s Department of Health issued an alert for the increase in cases, from the state’s Chief Health Officer Tarun Weeramanthri.
Virtually everyone is at risk of contracting Q fever, given the wide radius the aerosol Coxiella burnetii can spread in the community.
“Q fever can be treated with antibiotics. If you receive early treatment, you’re likely to recover sooner and have less long-term complications,” Dr Weeramanthri said.
“There has been a significant increase in cases compared to recent years.”
The Royal Australian College of GPs has reported Q fever as the most commonly reported zoonotic disease in Australia.
In RACGP literature, notification rates are highest in Queensland, followed by NSW, then South Australia, before Victoria’s diagnoses are counted.
According to WorkCover Victoria, Q fever is a notifiable disease and should be part of every farm’s occupational health and safety plan.
Q fever disease has been found in children, and the demographic group with the highest incidences of Q fever is people 30 to 70 years old.
Veterinarian Richard Shephard said farmers, their workers and their visitors, could all become exposed to the disease if it’s within the herd.
Because the disease can live for a very long time in dust, this is the most common avenue for contracting Q fever.
Dr Shephard said people could become exposed to Q fever bacteria well after it was evident in animal fluids.
When he contracted Q fever, he suffered with severe flu-like symptoms.
“People can contract Q fever and end up with life-long and debilitating symptoms,” Dr Shephard said.
“The best protection against Q fever is to get yourself, your workers and your family vaccinated.”
In 2017, Casey Bermingham ended up in hospital with a diagnosis of Q fever.
At the time, she was dairy farming with her husband at Nambrok.
After three days of illness at home, Casey attended her local hospital and was admitted, and after two days, based entirely on her clinical symptoms, intravenous antibiotic treatment began.
For Casey, it was another four weeks before Q fever antibodies showed up in her blood tests.
Before the infection, Casey milked in the morning and was involved with calf rearing and other jobs on the farm.
She was also a nurse in the local community.
After contracting Q fever, Casey was very debilitated and her main role on the farm became relief milker.
Even then, she suffered from severe fatigue and migraines.
The couple has since sold the farm.
After Gippsland comprised 36.3 per cent of all diagnoses in 2023, last year the GippsDairy board successfully lobbied the government to fund vaccinations in the region.
Initially, a GP clinic in Maffra was funded for two days to provide people with testing and vaccinations for Q fever in June and July 2024.
This year, three GP clinics, in Neerim South, Korumburra and Sale, have been funded to offer 200 subsidised Q fever tests and vaccinations until the end of March 2025.
GippsDairy board chair Sarah O’Brien said funding to subsidise each Q fever test and vaccination had been committed through the Livestock Biosecurity Fund, administered by Agriculture Victoria.
Dairy farmers, their employees, sharefarmers or lessees, will be given priority to access the subsidised Q fever test and vaccination.
A skin test and blood test are taken at the GP clinic to identify if the person has previously had Q fever, before they can be vaccinated.
Somebody with antibodies to Q fever cannot have the vaccination.
Gippsland Regional Public Health Unit senior epidemiologist Katie Walker said Gippsland was over-represented in the Victoria’s Q fever statistics, with most cases that were identified living and working in the Wellington Shire.
GRPHU Public Health Physician Shereen Labib said an awareness campaign would target the local agriculture industry, dairy farmers and their workers, veterinarians and general practitioners.
“With the Gippsland region being so over-represented in terms of infections we aim to increase Q fever awareness and use of prevention measures, including use of personal protection measures and vaccination,” Dr Labib said.
“Ultimately, we want to achieve a decrease in people infected with the disease.”
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