1/3. Laboratory outbreak of q fever.An outbreak of q fever in a university department where sheep placentas were being used for research is described. Of six persons exposed to the sheep, four had positive titers with only one person developing an acute febrile illness and liver disease. This report illustrates the value of the family physician obtaining an occupational history and conducting an outbreak investigation.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = fever (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/3. Crimean-congo haemorrhagic fever virus infection in the western province of saudi arabia.In 1990, an outbreak of suspected viral haemorrhagic fever involving 7 individuals occurred in Mecca in the Western Province of saudi arabia. congo-Crimean haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), not previously known to be present in saudi arabia, was incriminated. A study of the epidemiology of this virus was therefore carried out in Mecca, and in nearby Jeddah and Taif in 1991-1993; 13 species of ixodid ticks (5 Hyalomma spp., 5 rhipicephalus spp., 2 Amblyomma spp., 1 Boophilus sp.) were collected from livestock (camels, cattle, sheep, goats), and of these 10 were capable of transmitting CCHF. camels had the highest rate of tick infestation (97%), and H. dromedarii was the commonest tick (70%). Attempts to isolate virus from pools of H. dromedarii and H. anatolicum anatolicum were unsuccessful. The source of infection in 3 confirmed cases of CCHF was contact with fresh mutton and, in a suspected case, slaughtering sheep. An investigation in Mecca, which included a serological survey of abattoir workers, identified 40 human cases of confirmed or suspected CCHF between 1989 and 1990, with 12 fatalities. Significant risk factors included exposure to animal blood or tissue in abattoirs, but not tick bites. It is suspected that the CCHF virus may have been introduced to saudi arabia by infected ticks on imported sheep arriving at Jeddah seaport, and that it is now endemic in the Western Province.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 806.24040871227keywords = haemorrhagic fever, fever (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/3. Occupational infection in an offal porter: a case of q fever.This case report describes the job activities of an offal porter who developed Q fever while processing livers from sheep. The diagnosis was confirmed by an increase in specific serial antibody titre. The main clinical features were anorexia, nausea, headache, pyrexia and elevated gamma-glutamyl transferase. Twenty-four cases of occupationally-acquired q fever were noted by the communicable diseases Surveillance Centre (CDSC) between 1984 and 1994. This case report has an important feature in that a workplace visit was performed to evaluate the system of work and the circumstances of exposure to the infectious agent. Relevant preventive measures for this zoonotic infection are discussed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.2keywords = fever (Clic here for more details about this article) |