Q Fever: Treatment Overview for Clinicians
On this page:
Acute infection
- Doxycycline is the treatment of choice for acute Q fever.
- A dose of 100 mg of doxycycline taken orally twice daily for 15-21 days is a frequently prescribed therapy for adults.
- Quinolone antibiotics have demonstrated good in vitro activity against C. burnetii and may be considered by the physician.
- Antibiotic treatment is most effective when initiated within the first 3 days of illness.
- Doxycycline therapy should be started again if the patient relapses.
- Although Q fever infection during pregnancy carries a high risk for adverse outcome, doxycycline is contraindicated during pregnancy. Pregnant women should be treated through delivery with co-trimoxazole (320 mg trimethoprim and 1600 mg sulfamethoxazole daily).
- Doxycycline is usually contraindicated in children less than 8 years of age, however in the case of acute Q fever this drug can be given (2.2mg/kg twice a day). Co-trimoxazole is a possible second-line treatment for young children.
Chronic infection
- Chronic Q fever endocarditis is much more difficult to treat effectively and often requires the use of multiple drugs. Two
different treatment protocols have been evaluated:
- doxycycline in combination with quinolones for at least 4 years and
- doxycycline in combination with hydroxychloroquine for 1.5 to 3 years.
The second therapy leads to fewer relapses, but requires routine eye exams to detect accumulation of chloroquine.
- Surgery to replace damaged valves may be required for some cases of C. burnetii endocarditis
Infection control precautions
- Persons with acute or chronic Q fever should be cared for using standard precautions. These patients are not usually
considered infectious to other persons, and special precautions are not required for routine care.
- C. burnetii is shed in milk, and infected women may pose a risk of transmission to their nursing infants.
- Person-to-person transmission should be considered a possibility for medical personnel performing obstetrical procedures on infected pregnant women.
- Patients may pose a risk for transmission of C. burnetii to sex partners during acute illness.
- For more information, see Guideline for Isolation Precautions in Hospitals
- Page last updated August 25, 2006
- Page last reviewed September 28, 2007
Get email updates
To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address:
Contact Us:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd
Atlanta, GA 30333 - 800-CDC-INFO
(800-232-4636)
TTY: (888) 232-6348
24 Hours/Every Day - cdcinfo@cdc.gov
