Common symptoms include:

• Dry cough (nonproductive)
• Fever
• Headache
• Joint pain (arthralgia)
• Muscle pains

Other symptoms that may develop include:

• Abdominal pain
• Chest pain
• Jaundice
• Rash

A physical examination may reveal crackles in the lungs or an enlarged liver and spleen. In the late stages of the disease, a heart murmur may be heard.

Tests that may be done include:

• A chest x-ray to detect pneumonia or other changes
• Blood tests to check for antibodies to Coxiella burnetti
• Liver function test
• Complete blood count (CBC)
• Tissue staining on infected tissues to identify the bacteria
• Electrocardiogram or echocardiogram to look at the heart

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Q fever Overview

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Q fever Treatment

Review Date: 09/15/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)