The Varying Epidemiology of Q Fever in the South-East Region of Great Britain I. In an Urban Area

Abstract

An investigation in an urban area of south-east Kent of 160 patients who had had either pneumonia or unexplained fever during the period from the end of 1948 to the beginning of 1954 revealed that twenty-three (14%) had probably had Q fever. A comparison of the epidemiological histories of patients who had had Q fever with those of the remainder showed that the use of a household supply of raw milk was commoner among the former. Occupational exposure to animals (or animal products), visits to potentially infectious places, or residence near potential sources of infection were not significantly more frequent among the Q-fever cases as compared with the controls. The isolation of Rickettsia burneti from the bulked milk of some local herds supplying retail dairies in the towns, together with the general epidemiological evidence, suggested that Q fever in the towns was predominantly milk-borne.