Occupational infection in an offal porter: a case of Q fever.
This case report describes the job activities of an offal porter who developed Q fever while processing livers from sheep. The diagnosis was confirmed by an increase in specific serial antibody titre. The main clinical features were anorexia, nausea, headache, pyrexia and elevated gamma-glutamyl transferase. Twenty-four cases of occupationally-acquired Q fever were noted by the Communicable Diseases Surveillance Centre (CDSC) between 1984 and 1994. This case report has an important feature in that a workplace visit was performed to evaluate the system of work and the circumstances of exposure to the infectious agent. Relevant preventive measures for this zoonotic infection are discussed.
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Institute of Occupational Health, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, UK. t.c.aw@bham.ac.uk
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D000003:Abattoirs; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D011778:Q Fever / Q000635:transmission* / Q000662:veterinary; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000635:transmission