Q Fever Endocarditis: Long-Term Outcomes

Treatment should last 18 months for native valve infection and 24 months for prosthetic valve infection.

Q fever is a zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii. Endocarditis, a life-threatening complication, develops in 1% to 5% of individuals with acute Q fever and ≤80% of those with chronic infections. Because C. burnetii lives in the phagolysosomes of infected cells, eradication is difficult. Prolonged treatment is recommended with a combination of doxycycline and hydroxychloroquine. (Hydroxychloroquine raises the pH of the phagolysosomes, thereby improving the doxycycline's bactericidal activity.)

Investigators in France undertook a retrospective cohort study to assess long-term outcomes in Q fever endocarditis. They included all patients followed for this condition at the French National Referral Centre for Q Fever between May 1983 and June 200…

Reviewing Author

Mary E. Wilson, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardOneHealthTrust (formerly Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics, and Policy); Global Health Institute, University of Wisconsin

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Editorial BoardsJournal of Travel Medicine

Mary E. Wilson, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardOneHealthTrust (formerly Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics, and Policy); Global Health Institute, University of Wisconsin

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Editorial BoardsJournal of Travel Medicine