Biomaterial Database

Q Fever Outbreak among Workers at a Waste-Sorting Plant. 2015

Eva Alonso, and Idoia Lopez-Etxaniz, and Ana Hurtado, and Paloma Liendo, and Felix Urbaneja, and Inmaculada Aspiritxaga, and Jose Ignacio Olaizola, and Alvaro Piñero, and Iñaki Arrazola, and Jesús F Barandika, and Silvia Hernáez, and Nerea Muniozguren, and Ana L García-Pérez

Department of Epidemiology, Subdirección de Salud Pública de Bizkaia, Gobierno Vasco, Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain.

An outbreak of Q fever occurred in February-April 2014 among workers at a waste-sorting plant in Bilbao (Spain). The outbreak affected 58.5% of investigated employees, 47.2% as confirmed cases (PCR and/or serology) and 11.3% as probable cases (symptoms without laboratory confirmation). Only employees who had no-access to the waste processing areas of the plant were not affected and incidence of infection was significantly higher among workers not using respiratory protection masks. Detection by qPCR of Coxiella burnetii in dust collected from surfaces of the plant facilities confirmed exposure of workers inside the plant. Animal remains sporadically detected among the residues received for waste-sorting were the most probable source of infection. After cleaning and disinfection, all environmental samples tested negative. Personal protection measures were reinforced and made compulsory for the staff and actions were taken to raise farmers' awareness of the biological risk of discharging animal carcasses as urban waste.

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
D012037	Refuse Disposal	The discarding or destroying of garbage, sewage, or other waste matter or its transformation into something useful or innocuous.	Waste Disposal, Solid,Disposal, Refuse,Disposal, Solid Waste,Disposals, Refuse,Disposals, Solid Waste,Refuse Disposals,Solid Waste Disposal,Solid Waste Disposals,Waste Disposals, Solid
D004196	Disease Outbreaks	Sudden increase in the incidence of a disease. The concept includes EPIDEMICS and PANDEMICS.	Outbreaks,Infectious Disease Outbreaks,Disease Outbreak,Disease Outbreak, Infectious,Disease Outbreaks, Infectious,Infectious Disease Outbreak,Outbreak, Disease,Outbreak, Infectious Disease,Outbreaks, Disease,Outbreaks, Infectious Disease
D005260	Female		Females
D006256	Hazardous Waste	Waste products which threaten life, health, or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, disposed of, or otherwise managed.	Hazardous Wastes,Waste, Hazardous,Wastes, Hazardous
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
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia