What is Q fever?

The Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Industry (DA-BAI) on Friday confirmed the Philippines’ first case of Q fever, which is human-transmissible, in dozens of goats imported from the US that were bought at a government breeding farm in Marinduque and a quarantine facility in Pampanga.

DA Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Arnel de Mesa said that out of the 94 goats that arrived in the country, 19 samples tested positive for Q fever.

According to the Department of Health (DOH), Query fever or Q fever is a zoonotic disease found in animals caused by bacteria Coxiella burnetti.

It is transmissible to humans, especially among farmers and animal handlers who are in frequent contact with infected animals. However, cases of human to human transmission can be considered rare.

Symptoms of the disease in humans surface two to three weeks after exposure and are commonly non-specific and mild, the DOH said. These symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache, cough, nausea, and vomiting. 

Q fever can be cured through antibiotics, the Health Department added.

Prevent infection

To prevent infection, the DOH advised the public to avoid contact with animals suspected to have Q fever. 

For its part, the DA said it has already depopulated more than five dozen of the goats imported from the US following the detection of Q fever among some of the animals at a government breeding station in Marinduque.

The goats were bought as part of a dispersal program to farmers, the agency said.

Moreover, two dozen of the imported goats left in the quarantine facility in Pampanga were also condemned even before conducting tests to eliminate any possible source of Q fever infection. 

Other animals within the Marinduque breeding stations were also culled, the agency said.

Further, the DA-BAI said Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. ordered the immediate condemnation of all infected goats and animals exposed to the infected ruminants, the tracing of potentially infected animals, and a temporary ban on the importation of goats from the US.

He also ordered the preventive suspension of certain BAI personnel pending investigation, a review of BAl's quarantine and disease control protocols, and potential blacklisting of the importer of the infected goats, according to the agency.

"This is a very serious matter. We will leave no stone unturned to ensure that the health of Filipinos is not compromised. It is imperative that we act immediately and decisively to eradicate this disease that poses serious threats to both animals and humans," said the Agriculture chief.

The Department of Agriculture assured the municipality of Sta. Cruz in Marinduque that all necessary assistance to contain and eliminate the infection will be provided by the agency.

The DA said the stringent measures implemented by the BAl and the department underscore the government's commitment to safeguarding public health and preventing the spread of infectious diseases in both animals and humans. — BAP, GMA Integrated News