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Q fever in children

J Ruiz-Contreras1, R González Montero, J T Ramos Amador

  • 1Departamento de Pediatriá, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain.

American Journal of Diseases of Children (1960)
|March 1, 1993
PubMed

Insights

Q fever in children typically presents as a self-limited illness with high fever and gastrointestinal issues. Early antibody testing for Coxiella burnetii is recommended for suspected pediatric Q fever cases.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Q fever is a zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetii.
  • Clinical presentation in children is not well-defined.
  • Understanding pediatric Q fever profiles aids diagnosis and management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To delineate the clinical characteristics of Q fever in pediatric patients.
  • To identify key diagnostic indicators for childhood Q fever.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of medical records from a tertiary teaching hospital.
  • Inclusion of thirteen children aged 2-14 years diagnosed with Q fever.
  • Diagnosis confirmed by detecting phase II antibodies to Coxiella burnetii via complement fixation test.

Main Results:

  • The illness was self-limited, marked by high fever (mean 39.9°C) lasting 5-10 days.
  • Common symptoms included constitutional complaints and mild liver dysfunction; gastrointestinal issues were prevalent.
  • Respiratory symptoms were minimal, with mostly normal or low white blood cell counts and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rates.

Conclusions:

  • Pediatric Q fever typically manifests with fever and gastrointestinal symptoms.
  • Testing for Coxiella burnetii antibodies is crucial for children presenting with these clinical features.
  • Children generally recover well without specific anti-Coxiella burnetii therapy.
Abstract

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