Clinical presentation of acute Q fever in Spain: seasonal and geographical differences. 2014

Elena Espejo, and Aída Gil-Díaz, and José Antonio Oteo, and Renato Castillo-Rueda, and Lara García-Alvarez, and Sergio Santana-Báez, and Feliu Bella
Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa, Ctra. Torrebonica s/n, 08227 Terrassa, Spain. Electronic address: 12088eea@comb.cat.

OBJECTIVE The aims of this study were to improve our understanding of the clinical forms of presentation of acute Q fever in Spain and to determine any possible relationships with geographical and seasonal factors. METHODS This was a retrospective study of 183 cases of acute Q fever from three Spanish regions, Catalonia, Canary Islands, and La Rioja. RESULTS The main clinical form of presentation was hepatitis (49.2%), followed by isolate febrile syndrome (31.7%) and pneumonia (19.1%). The proportion of cases presenting as pneumonia was significantly higher in La Rioja (40.7%) than in Catalonia (18.3%) or the Canary Islands (12.9%) (p=0.001). In Catalonia and the Canary Islands, most cases (52.1% and 57.6%, respectively) were diagnosed between March and June, whereas in La Rioja, most cases (51.8%) occurred between November and February. Overall, the proportion of cases presenting as pneumonia was significantly higher in the period from November to February (32.6%) than in the periods March-June (16.0%) and July-October (13.0%) (p=0.01). CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest the existence of seasonal differences in the presentation of acute Q fever in Spain, with a higher proportion of pneumonic forms in the colder months. Furthermore, we confirmed the existence of geographical differences, with a higher proportion of pneumonic forms in the region of La Rioja, in the north of the country.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D011778 Q Fever An acute infectious disease caused by COXIELLA BURNETII. It is characterized by a sudden onset of FEVER; HEADACHE; malaise; and weakness. In humans, it is commonly contracted by inhalation of infected dusts derived from infected domestic animals (ANIMALS, DOMESTIC). Coxiella burnetii Fever,Query Fever,Acute Q Fever,Chronic Q Fever,Coxiella burnetii Infection,Coxiella burnetii Vector-Borne Disease,Acute Q Fevers,Chronic Q Fevers,Coxiella burnetii Fevers,Coxiella burnetii Infections,Coxiella burnetii Vector Borne Disease,Fever, Acute Q,Fever, Chronic Q,Fever, Coxiella burnetii,Fever, Q,Fever, Query,Fevers, Acute Q,Fevers, Chronic Q,Fevers, Coxiella burnetii,Fevers, Q,Fevers, Query,Infection, Coxiella burnetii,Infections, Coxiella burnetii,Q Fever, Acute,Q Fever, Chronic,Q Fevers,Q Fevers, Acute,Q Fevers, Chronic,Query Fevers
D005260 Female Females
D006505 Hepatitis INFLAMMATION of the LIVER. Hepatitides
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D012189 Retrospective Studies Studies used to test etiologic hypotheses in which inferences about an exposure to putative causal factors are derived from data relating to characteristics of persons under study or to events or experiences in their past. The essential feature is that some of the persons under study have the disease or outcome of interest and their characteristics are compared with those of unaffected persons. Retrospective Study,Studies, Retrospective,Study, Retrospective
D012621 Seasons Divisions of the year according to some regularly recurrent phenomena usually astronomical or climatic. (From McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed) Seasonal Variation,Season,Seasonal Variations,Variation, Seasonal,Variations, Seasonal
D013030 Spain Country located between France on the northeast and Portugal on the west and bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The capital is Madrid. Balearic Islands,Canary Islands

Related Publications

Elena Espejo, and Aída Gil-Díaz, and José Antonio Oteo, and Renato Castillo-Rueda, and Lara García-Alvarez, and Sergio Santana-Báez, and Feliu Bella
April 1994, The American journal of medicine,
Elena Espejo, and Aída Gil-Díaz, and José Antonio Oteo, and Renato Castillo-Rueda, and Lara García-Alvarez, and Sergio Santana-Báez, and Feliu Bella
October 1998, European journal of epidemiology,
Elena Espejo, and Aída Gil-Díaz, and José Antonio Oteo, and Renato Castillo-Rueda, and Lara García-Alvarez, and Sergio Santana-Báez, and Feliu Bella
November 1949, La Medicina colonial,
Elena Espejo, and Aída Gil-Díaz, and José Antonio Oteo, and Renato Castillo-Rueda, and Lara García-Alvarez, and Sergio Santana-Báez, and Feliu Bella
March 2016, QJM : monthly journal of the Association of Physicians,
Elena Espejo, and Aída Gil-Díaz, and José Antonio Oteo, and Renato Castillo-Rueda, and Lara García-Alvarez, and Sergio Santana-Báez, and Feliu Bella
February 2011, Enfermedades infecciosas y microbiologia clinica,
Elena Espejo, and Aída Gil-Díaz, and José Antonio Oteo, and Renato Castillo-Rueda, and Lara García-Alvarez, and Sergio Santana-Báez, and Feliu Bella
April 2006, Enfermedades infecciosas y microbiologia clinica,
Elena Espejo, and Aída Gil-Díaz, and José Antonio Oteo, and Renato Castillo-Rueda, and Lara García-Alvarez, and Sergio Santana-Báez, and Feliu Bella
March 2002, Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America,
Elena Espejo, and Aída Gil-Díaz, and José Antonio Oteo, and Renato Castillo-Rueda, and Lara García-Alvarez, and Sergio Santana-Báez, and Feliu Bella
January 1988, Reviews of infectious diseases,
Elena Espejo, and Aída Gil-Díaz, and José Antonio Oteo, and Renato Castillo-Rueda, and Lara García-Alvarez, and Sergio Santana-Báez, and Feliu Bella
January 1955, Bulletin of the World Health Organization,
Elena Espejo, and Aída Gil-Díaz, and José Antonio Oteo, and Renato Castillo-Rueda, and Lara García-Alvarez, and Sergio Santana-Báez, and Feliu Bella
December 2025, Enfermedades infecciosas y microbiologia clinica (English ed.),
Copied contents to your clipboard!