Q Fever has occurred in people with no animal contact because the agent may be transmitted in the air. Only a few organisms need to be inhaled to produce disease. In addition to inhalation, the agent may enter the body by ingestion or contamination of wounds, for example, contaminated needle sticks. Consuming unpasteurized milk or milk products can be another source of human infection with Coxiella burnetii. The disease in humans may appear 2-4 weeks after infection.
Many human infections are mild and inapparent and thus go undetected.
A prominent symptom of the disease is severe headache. Pain in back of the eyes is common. Fever, chills, profuse sweating, malaise, loss of appetite, muscle aches and sometimes nausea and vomiting are also symptoms. People with a valvular heart disease are at greater risk of developing complications associated with Q Fever. Safe Work Practices 1.