Current Status of Q Fever and the Challenge of Outbreak Preparedness in Korea: One Health Approach to Zoonoses
10.3346/jkms.2023.38.e197
- Author:
Yun Sang CHO
1
;
Ji-Hyuk PARK
;
Jong Wan KIM
;
Jin-Ju LEE
;
So Youn YOUN
;
Hyeon Seop BYEON
;
Hye Won JEONG
;
Dong-Min KIM
;
Shi Nae YU
;
Jang Won YOON
;
Dongmi KWAK
;
Han Sang YOO
;
Ji-Yeon LEE
;
Jeong-Ran KWON
;
Kyung-Won HWANG
;
Jung Yeon HEO
Author Information
1. Laboratory of Parasitic and Honeybee Diseases, Bacterial Disease Division, Department of Animal and Plant Health Research, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon, Korea
- Publication Type:Review Article
- From:Journal of Korean Medical Science
2023;38(24):e197-
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Human Q fever, a zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii, presents with diverse clinical manifestations ranging from mild self-limited febrile illnesses to life-threatening complications such as endocarditis or vascular infection. Although acute Q fever is a benign illness with a low mortality rate, a large-scale outbreak of Q fever in the Netherlands led to concerns about the possibility of blood transfusion-related transmission or obstetric complications in pregnant women. Furthermore, a small minority (< 5%) of patients with asymptomatic or symptomatic infection progress to chronic Q fever. Chronic Q fever is fatal in 5–50% of patients if left untreated. In South Korea, Q fever in humans was designated as a notifiable infectious disease in 2006, and the number of Q fever cases has increased sharply since 2015. Nonetheless, it is still considered a neglected and under-recognized infectious disease. In this review, recent trends of human and animal Q fever in South Korea, and public health concerns regarding Q fever outbreaks are reviewed, and we consider how a One Health approach could be applied as a preventive measure to prepare for zoonotic Q fever outbreaks.
