• Sarah Tozer, Caitlin Wood, Damin Si, Michael Nissen, Theo Sloots, and Stephen Lambert.
• Centre for Children's Health Research, Queensland Paediatric Infectious Disease Laboratory, Lady Cilento Research Precinct, South Brisbane, Queensland; Children's Health Research Centre, University of Queensland, South Brisbane, Queensland; The University of Queensland, School of Veterinary Science, Gatton, Queensland.
• Commun Dis Intell (2018). 2020 Jun 15; 44.

AbstractQ fever is a notifiable zoonotic disease in Australia, caused by infection with Coxiella burnetii. This study has reviewed 2,838 Q fever notifications reported in Queensland between 2003 and 2017 presenting descriptive analyses, with counts, rates, and proportions. For this study period, Queensland accounted for 43% of the Australian national Q fever notifications. Enhanced surveillance follow-up of Q fever cases through Queensland Public Health Units was implemented in 2012, which improved the data collected for occupational risk exposures and animal contacts. For 2013-2017, forty-nine percent (377/774) of cases with an identifiable occupational group would be considered high risk for Q fever. The most common identifiable occupational group was agricultural/farming (31%). For the same period, at-risk environmental exposures were identified in 82% (961/1,170) of notifications; at-risk animal-related exposures were identified in 52% (612/1,170) of notifications; abattoir exposure was identified in 7% of notifications. This study has shown that the improved follow-up of Q fever cases since 2012 has been effective in the identification of possible exposure pathways for Q fever transmission. This improved surveillance has highlighted the need for further education and heightened awareness of Q fever risk for all people living in Queensland, not just those in previously-considered high risk occupations.© Commonwealth of Australia CC BY-NC-ND.

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