Outbreak of Query fever among Argentinean special police unit officers during a United Nations mission in Prizren, South Kosovo

Abstract

After an outbreak of Query fever (Q fever) in an Argentinean special police unit, 115 officers were investigated to evaluate the risk of infection with Coxiella burnetii after having been exposed to contaminated dust originating from a nearby barn harboring infected sheep. All officers were serologically tested and the medical history of potential risk factors was performed. The percentage of officers showing acute Q-fever seroconversion was found to be 51.3%. Forty-two individuals showed clinical symptoms, among them, 28 patients underwent medical care. No relevant risk factor was found. In areas of an unknown epidemiological situation, patients with unclear respiratory infections should be serologically tested for C. burnetii to offer the correct treatment and avoid possible chronic cases. Attention has to be drawn to choosing the site of a camp so as to protect troops from possible infectious disease. During a U.N. mission in Kosovo, we observed a Q-fever outbreak among the Argentinean special police unit. Our investigation was initiated to evaluate the incidence of C. burnetii infection and Q-fever manifestations in an entire population sharing the same exposure risk and to develop suitable measures to interrupt transmission. Copyright © by Association of Military Surgeons of U.S., 2007.