Epidemiology of Q fever in dairy goat herds in the Netherlands

Between 2007 and 2009, the largest human Q fever epidemic ever described occurred in the Netherlands. The source was traced back to dairy goat farms, where abortion storms caused by Coxiella burnetii had been observed. Intervention measures included vaccination of dairy goats, followed by one-time culling of all pregnant animals from infected dairy goat herds in early 2010. These measures aimed to prevent further shedding of C. burnetii into the environment during the next kidding season, thus minimizing human exposure. Beginning in 2010, the number of human cases sharply decreased, suggesting... Mehr ...