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Truckin' pneumonia—an outbreak of Q fever in a truck repair plant probably due to aerosols from clothing contaminated by contact with newborn kittens

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

Thomas J. Marrie ,
Donald Langille ,
Vasilia Papukna  and
Linda Yates
Thomas J. Marrie
Affiliation:
Departments of Medicine and Microbiology, Dalhousie University and the Victoria General Hospital and the Cobequid Health Unit, Nova Scotia Department of Health
Donald Langille
Affiliation:
Departments of Medicine and Microbiology, Dalhousie University and the Victoria General Hospital and the Cobequid Health Unit, Nova Scotia Department of Health
Vasilia Papukna
Affiliation:
Departments of Medicine and Microbiology, Dalhousie University and the Victoria General Hospital and the Cobequid Health Unit, Nova Scotia Department of Health
Linda Yates
Affiliation:
Departments of Medicine and Microbiology, Dalhousie University and the Victoria General Hospital and the Cobequid Health Unit, Nova Scotia Department of Health
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Summary

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We describe an outbreak of Q fever affecting 16 of 32 employees at a truck repair plant. None of the cases were exposed to cattle, sheep or goats. the traditional reservoirs of Q fever. The cases did not work, live on, or visit farms or attend livestock auctions. One of the employees had a cat which gave birth to kittens 2 weeks prior to the first case of Q fever in the plant. The cat owner fed the kittens every day before coming to work as the cat would not let the kittens suckle. Serum from the cat had high antibody titres to phase I and phase II Coxiella burnetii antigens. The attack rate among the employees where the cat owner worked. 13 of 19 (68%), was higher than that of employees elsewhere, 3 of 13 (28%) [P <0·01]. The cat owner's wife and son also developed Q fever. None of the family members of the other employees with Q fever was so affected.

We conclude that this outbreak of Q fever probably resulted from exposure to the contaminated clothing of the cat owner.

Type
Research Article
Information
Epidemiology & Infection , Volume 102 , Issue 1 , February 1989 , pp. 119 - 127
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

References

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