Chitwan reports first case of Q fever

CHITWAN: A case of Q fever has been detected at Madi municipality of Chitwan. The fever which is caused by Coxiella burnetii bacteria has been confirmed on a domesticated cow at Madi.

This fever is transmittable to human to livestock and vice-versa.

The local government said this is the first case of Q fever detected in the district.

The municipality’s livestock section chief Dr Rabin Bastakoti said the sample test of the cow was made at the Central Veterinary Laboratory.

The cow which was four months pregnant fell sick and the infection led to the pregnancy loss. The case was diagnosed trough the PCR test.

Medication for three weeks to three months is prescribed to treat the disease. Fever, and loss of appetite are among the symptoms of the disease which was first confirmed in 1935 in Australia.

It primarily affects livestock, but can also infect humans if a mite bites human after biting infected animal.

It is also transmitted by consumption of raw milk or meat extracted from infected animal.

Symptoms in humans include fever and chest pain and the severity of the case can led to pneumonia and hepatitis B as well.