One Health approach to controlling a Q fever outbreak on an Australian goat farm.
A recent outbreak of Q fever was linked to an intensive goat and sheep dairy farm in Victoria, Australia, 2012-2014. Seventeen employees and one family member were confirmed with Q fever over a 28-month period, including two culture-positive cases. The outbreak investigation and management involved a One Health approach with representation from human, animal, environmental and public health. Seroprevalence in non-pregnant milking goats was 15% [95% confidence interval (CI) 7-27]; active infection was confirmed by positive quantitative PCR on several animal specimens. Genotyping of Coxiella burnetii DNA obtained from goat and human specimens was identical by two typing methods. A number of farming practices probably contributed to the outbreak, with similar precipitating factors to the Netherlands outbreak, 2007-2012. Compared to workers in a high-efficiency particulate arrestance (HEPA) filtered factory, administrative staff in an unfiltered adjoining office and those regularly handling goats and kids had 5·49 (95% CI 1·29-23·4) and 5·65 (95% CI 1·09-29·3) times the risk of infection, respectively; suggesting factory workers were protected from windborne spread of organisms. Reduction in the incidence of human cases was achieved through an intensive human vaccination programme plus environmental and biosecurity interventions. Subsequent non-occupational acquisition of Q fever in the spouse of an employee, indicates that infection remains endemic in the goat herd, and remains a challenge to manage without source control.
Communicable Disease Prevention and Control,Department of Health,Victoria,Australia.
K A
KA
Bond
The Australian Rickettsial Reference Laboratory,Australia.
G
G
Vincent
Asia-Pacific Centre for Animal Health,Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences,The University of Melbourne,Australia.
C R
CR
Wilks
Communicable Diseases Epidemiology and Surveillance,Department of Health,Victoria,Australia.
L
L
Franklin
Communicable Disease Prevention and Control,Department of Health,Victoria,Australia.
B
B
Sutton
The Australian Rickettsial Reference Laboratory,Australia.
J
J
Stenos
Department of Infectious Diseases,Barwon Health,Australia.
R
R
Cowan
Department of Infectious Diseases,Barwon Health,Australia.
K
K
Lim
Department of Infectious Diseases,Barwon Health,Australia.
E
E
Athan
St John of God Pathcare,Geelong,Australia.
O
O
Harris
Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer,Department of Environment and Primary Industries,Victoria,Australia.
L
L
Macfarlane-Berry
Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer,Department of Environment and Primary Industries,Victoria,Australia.
Y
Y
Segal
Asia-Pacific Centre for Animal Health,Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences,The University of Melbourne,Australia.
S M
SM
Firestone
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000382:Agricultural Workers' Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D016997:Coxiella burnetii / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000067565:Farmers; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006041:Goats; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011778:Q Fever / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014611:Vaccination; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
D004269:DNA, Bacterial
Public health emerging infections; Q fever