The pathogen Coxiella burnetii is a gramnegative bacterium and belongs to the family Rickettsiaceae. It is the causative agent of Q-Fever, an acute rickettsial disease.It can be considered the most infectious disease in the world, as a human being can be infected by a single bacterium. It can be found worldwide, including tropical countries, with the exception of New Zealand. In Europe it appears as hepatitis rather than pneumonia as in the United States.The most common manifestation is flu-like symptoms. The fever lasts approximately 7 to 14 days. The disease can progress to an atypical pneumonia, which can result in a life threatening acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Occasionally, Q fever causes hepatitis, which may be asymptomatic or becomes symptomatic with malaise, fever, liver enlargement and pain in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen.The chronic form of Q fever is very similar to inflammation of the inner lining of the heart, which can occur months or decades following the infection. It is fatal if left untreated, however with the correct treatment the mortality rate falls under 10%.
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