Land-applied goat manure as a source of human Q-fever in the Netherlands, 2006-2010.
Studies have shown a link between Q-fever positive farms (QFPFs) and community cases of human Q-fever. Our study is the first to investigate the potential role of contaminated land-applied manure in human Q-fever, based on a large set of nationwide notification and farm management data. Time between manure application and disease onset in geographically linked notified human cases coincided with the incubation period of Q-fever. Proximity of contaminated land parcels predicted human cases better than proximity of QFPFs (80% vs. 58%, 0-5 km in 2009). Incidence around QFPFs and contaminated land parcels decreased with distance, but not around non-contaminated land parcels. Incidence was higher around contaminated land parcels than non-contaminated land parcels (RR = [10],95%CI = [7], [1]-[14,2]). Our findings deliver evidence that, apart from QFPFs, land-applied contaminated manure may be another source of human Q-fever.
Alterra, Wageningen UR, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Tia
T
Hermans
Alterra, Wageningen UR, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Leonne
L
Jeurissen
Department of Sexual Health, Infectious Diseases, and Environmental Health, South Limburg Public Health Service, Geleen, The Netherlands; Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Volker
V
Hackert
Department of Sexual Health, Infectious Diseases, and Environmental Health, South Limburg Public Health Service, Geleen, The Netherlands; Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Christian
C
Hoebe
D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D016997:Coxiella burnetii / Q000502:physiology*; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006041:Goats; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008372:Manure / Q000382:microbiology*; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D011778:Q Fever / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D012621:Seasons; D012756:Sheep; D062211:Spatio-Temporal Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*
D008372:Manure