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JAMA. 2002;288:2398-2400.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

MMWR. 2002;51:924-927

Q fever is a zoonotic disease caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii. The most common reservoirs are domesticated ruminants, primarily cattle, sheep, and goats. Humans acquire Q fever typically by inhaling aerosols or contaminated dusts derived from infected animals or animal products. Its highly infectious nature and aerosol route of transmission make C. burnetii a possible agent of bioterrorism.¹ Although up to 60% of initial infections are asymptomatic,² acute disease can manifest as a relatively mild, self-limited febrile illness, or more moderately severe disease characterized by hepatitis or pneumonia. It manifests less commonly as myocarditis, pericarditis, and meningoencephalitis. Chronic Q fever occurs in <1% of infected patients, months or years after initial infection. Chronic disease manifests most commonly as a culture-negative endocarditis in patients with valvular heart disease. During 2000-2001, a total of 48 patients who met the case definition* of Q fever were reported to CDC. . . . [Full Text of this Article]