epidemiology
Last reviewed 01/2018
About 100 cases of Q fever occur each year in the UK.
Q fever occurs worldwide, usually in rural areas. Ticks, sheep, cattle and goats are important reservoirs of infection.
Transmission can occur independent of an arthropod vector. Inhalation of infected dust is the most common route of infection. Others include:
- contaminated milk
- aerosols
- handling of infected carcasses in abattoirs
- tick bites