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[Q fever in Guinea-Bissau. 1 case]
M Lyagoubi1, D Fassin, O Rogeaux
1Département de Médecine Tropicale et Santé Publique, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris.
Bulletin De La Societe De Pathologie Exotique Et De Ses Filiales
|January 1, 1989
Summary
Q fever, caused by Coxiella Burnetii, is rarely seen in West Africa. A traveler returning from Guinea Bissau experienced pneumonia, fever, and hepatitis, which responded well to antibiotics, suggesting Q fever as a potential cause.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Microbiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Q fever is a zoonotic illness caused by Coxiella Burnetii.
- It is infrequently documented in West African populations.
- Unexplained febrile illnesses with respiratory or hepatic symptoms are common.
Observation:
- A patient returning from Guinea Bissau presented with acute lobar pneumonia, fever, headache, hematuria, and hepatitis.
- Diagnosis was confirmed by high antibody titers in Phase II indirect immunofluorescence on day 12 of fever.
- The patient received erythromycin followed by doxycycline.
Findings:
- Antibiotic treatment led to prompt and complete resolution of all clinical signs.
- The serological confirmation indicated a Q fever infection.
Implications:
- This case highlights the potential role of Coxiella Burnetii in causing unexplained fevers in West Africa.
- It suggests that Q fever should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with respiratory or hepatic manifestations in this region.
- Further surveillance and diagnostic efforts may be warranted to understand the prevalence of Q fever in West Africa.