Q fever: risk of transmission via blood or other body material

Q fever is a zoonosis – an infectious disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans – caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii (C. burnetii). A major outbreak of Q fever has occurred in the Netherlands, starting in 2007. The Dutch government took various veterinary measures and, based on earlier advisory reports from the Health Council of the Netherlands, offered vaccination against Q fever to certain specified patient groups. In the most recent report on Q fever the Health Council recommends that, before making a decision about screening blood donors for Q fever, a model based analysis be performed of the expected costs and effects of such screening. Concerning body material, the Health Council recommends serological testing of donors of body materials with a higher risk of Q fever transmission for infection with C. burnetii. For body material with a very low risk of transmission such measures are not thought to be necessary.