[Characteristics of Domestic Q Fever Cases, 2015-2021]

Q fever is classified as a third-class zoonotic disease that is mainly transmitted to humans through the respiratory system by aerosolization of dust generated in the process of handling livestock infected with Q fever (Coxiella burnetii). A total of 642 patients with Q fever were reported between 2015 and 2021. Until 2017, the incidence was less than 10 per year; however, this increased and peaked at 163 in 2018 and decreased to 50-60 from 2020 to 2021. The incidence per 100,000 population was 1.2 in Chungbuk, 0.6 in Chungnam, and 0.6 in Jeonnam. The number of cases increased from May to July, and the number of infected livestock increased from April to May; there was a positive correlation between the number of breeding heads and the region of Q fever occurrence in the human population (correlation coefficient, 0.48). The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency-Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency established a joint response in 2022. This is expected to help identify trends in cattle fever outbreaks and enable proactive responses to minimize infection in exposed populations.