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Diseases » Q fever » Symptoms
 

Symptoms of Q fever

Symptoms of Q fever

The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Q fever includes the 32 symptoms listed below:

Research symptoms & diagnosis of Q fever:

Q fever: Complications

Review medical complications possibly associated with Q fever:

Q fever Symptoms: Book Excerpts

Diagnostic Testing

Diagnostic testing of medical conditions related to Q fever:

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Do I have Q fever?

Q fever: Medical Mistakes

Home Diagnostic Testing

Home medical tests related to Q fever:

Wrongly Diagnosed with Q fever?

The list of other diseases or medical conditions that may be on the differential diagnosis list of alternative diagnoses for Q fever includes:

See the full list of 9 alternative diagnoses for Q fever

Q fever: Research Doctors & Specialists

Research all specialists including ratings, affiliations, and sanctions.

More about symptoms of Q fever:

More information about symptoms of Q fever and related conditions:

Other Possible Causes of these Symptoms

Click on any of the symptoms below to see a full list of other causes including diseases, medical conditions, toxins, drug interactions, or drug side effect causes of that symptom.

Medical Books Online about Q fever

Medical Books Excerpts Excerpts of published medical book chapters related to Q fever are available from published medical books for more detailed information about Q fever.

Medical Books Excerpts
  • Fever
  • "In a Page: Signs and Symptoms" (2004)
  • FEVER
  • "Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care" (2007)
  • Fever
  • "Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition)" (2006)
  • Pneumonia
  • "Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition)" (2005)
  • Lassa fever
  • "Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition)" (2005)
  • Fever
  • "The 10-Minute Diagnosis Manual: Symptoms and Signs in the Time-Limited Encounter" (2000)
  • Fever
  • "Alarming Signs and Symptoms: Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice Series" (2007)
  • Fever
  • "Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses" (2007)
  • Fever
  • "The Diagnostic Approach to Symptoms and Signs in Pediatrics" (2006)
  • FEVER
  • "Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care" (2007)

Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

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Patient Surveys for Q fever

Symptoms of Q fever: Online Medical Books

16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the symptoms of Q fever.


Pneumonia: Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

The main symptoms of pneumonia are coughing, sputum production, pleuritic chest pain, shaking chills, shortness of breath, rapid shallow breathing, and fever. Physical signs vary widely, ranging from diffuse, fine crackles to signs of localized or extensive consolidation and pleural effusion. There may also be associated symptoms of headache, sweating, loss of appetite, excess fatigue, and confusion (in older people).

Complications include hypoxemia, respiratory failure, pleural effusion, empyema, lung abscess, and bacteremia, with spread of infection to other parts of the body, resulting in meningitis, endocarditis, and pericarditis.

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005

Acute pneumonia: Signs and Symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

Coughing, sputum production, pleuritic chest pain, shaking, chills, fever, pleural effusion

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005

Idiopathic bronchiolitis obliterans with organizing pneumonia: Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

The presenting symptoms of BOOP are usually subacute, with a flulike syndrome of fever, persistent and nonproductive cough, dyspnea (especially with exertion), malaise, anorexia, and weight loss lasting for several weeks to several months. Physical assessment findings may reveal dry crackles as the only abnormality. Less common symptoms include a productive cough, hemoptysis, chest pain, generalized aching, and night sweats.

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005

Colorado tick fever: Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

After a 3- to 6-day incubation period, Colorado tick fever begins abruptly with chills; temperature of 104° F (40° C); severe aching of back, arms, and legs; lethargy; and headache with eye movement such as extraocular movement. Photophobia, abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting may occur. Rare effects include petechial or maculopapular rashes and central nervous system involvement. Symptoms subside after several days but return within 2 to 3 days and continue for 3 more days before slowly disappearing. Complete recovery usually follows.

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005

Lassa fever: Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

After a 7- to 18-day incubation period, this disease produces a fever that persists for 2 to 3 weeks, exudative pharyngitis, oral ulcers, lymphadenopathy with swelling of the face and neck, purpura, conjunctivitis, and bradycardia. Severe infection may also cause hepatitis, myocarditis, pleural infection, encephalitis, and permanent unilateral or bilateral deafness.

Virus multiplication in reticuloendothelial cells causes capillary lesions that lead to erythrocyte and platelet loss; mild to moderate thrombocytopenia (with a tendency toward bleeding); and secondary bacterial infection. These capillary lesions may also cause focal hemorrhage in the stomach, small intestine, kidneys, lungs, and brain and, possibly, hemorrhagic shock and peripheral vascular collapse.

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia: Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

The patient typically has a history of an immunocompromising condition (such as HIV infection, leukemia, or lymphoma) or procedure (such as organ transplantation).

PCP begins insidiously with increasing shortness of breath and a nonproductive cough. Anorexia, generalized fatigue, and weight loss may follow. Although the patient may have hypoxemia and hypercapnia, he may not exhibit significant symptoms. He may, however, have a low-grade, intermittent fever.

Other signs and symptoms include tachypnea, dyspnea, accessory muscle use for breathing, crackles (in about one-third of patients), marked pallor, and decreased breath sounds (in advanced pneumonia). Cyanosis may appear with acute illness; pulmonary consolidation develops later.

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005

Relapsing fever: Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

The incubation period for relapsing fever is 5 to 15 days (the average is 7 days). Clinically, tick- and louse-borne diseases are similar. Both begin suddenly, with a temperature approaching 105° F (40.6° C), prostration, headache, severe myalgia, arthralgia, diarrhea, vomiting, coughing, and eye or chest pains. Splenomegaly is common; hepatomegaly and lymphade-nopathy may occur. During febrile periods, the victim's pulse and respiratory rates rise, and a transient macular rash may develop over his torso.

The first attack usually lasts from 3 to 6 days; then the patient's temperature drops quickly and is accompanied by profuse sweating. A skin rash on the trunk lasting 1 to 2 days is common after the primary febrile episode. The rash may be petechiae, macular, or papular. About 5 to 10 days later, a second febrile, symptomatic period begins. In louse-borne infection, additional relapses are unusual; but, in tick-borne cases, a second or third relapse is common. As the afebrile intervals become longer, relapses become shorter and milder because of antibody accumulation. Relapses are possibly due to antigenic changes in the Borrelia organism.

Complications from relapsing fever include nephritis, bronchitis, pneumonia, endocarditis, seizures, cranial nerve lesions, paralysis, and coma. Death may occur from hyperpyrexia, massive bleeding, circulatory failure, splenic rupture, or a secondary infection.

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005

Rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease: Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

In 95% of patients, rheumatic fever characteristically follows a streptococcal infection that appeared a few days to 6 weeks earlier. A temperature of at least 100.4° F (38° C) occurs, and most patients complain of migratory joint pain or polyarthritis. Swelling, redness, and signs of effusion usually accompany such pain, which most commonly affects the knees, ankles, elbows, or hips. In 5% of patients (generally those with carditis), rheumatic fever causes skin lesions such as erythema marginatum, a nonpruritic, macular, transient rash that gives rise to red lesions with blanched centers. Rheumatic fever may also produce firm, movable, nontender, subcutaneous nodules about 3 mm to 2 cm in diameter, usually near tendons or bony prominences of joints (especially the elbows, knuckles, wrists, and knees) and less often on the scalp and backs of the hands. These nodules persist for a few days to several weeks and, like erythema marginatum, often accompany carditis.

Later, rheumatic fever may cause transient chorea, which develops up to 6 months after the original streptococcal infection. Mild chorea may produce hyperirritability, a deterioration in handwriting, or an inability to concentrate. Severe chorea (Sydenham’s chorea) causes purposeless, nonrepetitive, involuntary muscle spasms; poor muscle coordination; and weakness. Chorea always resolves without residual neurologic damage.

The most destructive effect of rheumatic fever is carditis, which develops in up to 50% of patients and may affect the endocardium, myocardium, pericardium, or the heart valves. Pericarditis causes a pericardial friction rub and, occasionally, pain and effusion. Myocarditis produces characteristic lesions called Aschoff bodies (in the acute stages) and cellular swelling and fragmentation of interstitial collagen, leading to formation of a progressively fibrotic nodule and interstitial scars. Endocarditis causes valve leaflet swelling, erosion along the lines of leaflet closure, and blood, platelet, and fibrin deposits, which form beadlike vegetations. Endocarditis affects the mitral valve most often in females; the aortic, most often in males. In both females and males, endocarditis affects the tricuspid valves occasionally and the pulmonic only rarely.

Severe rheumatic carditis may cause heart failure with dyspnea; right upper quadrant pain; tachycardia; tachypnea; a hacking, nonproductive cough; edema; and significant mitral and aortic murmurs. The most common of such murmurs include:

❑ a systolic murmur of mitral insufficiency (high-pitched, blowing, holosystolic, loudest at apex, possibly radiating to the anterior axillary line)

❑ a midsystolic murmur due to stiffening and swelling of the mitral leaflet

❑ occasionally, a diastolic murmur of aortic insufficiency (low-pitched, rumbling, almost inaudible). Valvular disease may eventually result in chronic valvular stenosis and insufficiency, including mitral stenosis and insufficiency, and aortic insufficiency. In children, mitral insufficiency remains the major sequela of rheumatic heart disease.

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005

Rocky Mountain spotted fever: Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

The incubation period is usually about 7 days, but it can range from 2 to 14 days. Generally, the shorter the incubation time, the more severe the infection. Signs and symptoms, which usually begin abruptly, include a persistent temperature of 102° to 104° F (38.9° to 40° C); a generalized, excruciating headache; nausea and vomiting; and aching in the bones, muscles, joints, and back. In addition, the tongue is covered with a thick white coating that gradually turns brown as the fever persists and rises.

Initially, the skin may simply appear flushed. Between days 2 and 5, eruptions begin around the wrists, ankles, or forehead; within 2 days, they cover the entire body, including the scalp, palms, and soles. The rash consists of erythematous macules 1 to 5 mm in diameter that blanch on pressure; if untreated, the rash may become petechial and maculopapular. By the third week, the skin peels off and may become gangrenous over the elbows, fingers, and toes.

The pulse is strong initially, but it gradually becomes rapid (possibly reaching 150 beats/minute) and thready.

Alert A rapid pulse rate and hypotension (systolic pressure less than 90 mm Hg) herald imminent death from complete vascular collapse.

Other signs and symptoms include a bronchial cough, a rapid respiratory rate (as high as 60 breaths/minute), anorexia, constipation, abdominal pain, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, insomnia, restlessness and, in extreme cases, delirium. Urine output falls to half of the normal level or less, is dark in color, and contains albumin. Complications, although uncommon, include lobar pneumonia, otitis media, pa-rotitis, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and, possibly, renal failure. In rare cases, RMSF leads to death.

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005

Pneumonia: Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)

The five cardinal signs and symptoms of early bacterial pneumonia are coughing, sputum production, pleuritic chest pain, shaking chills, and fever. Physical signs vary widely, ranging from diffuse, fine crackles to signs of localized or extensive consolidation and pleural effusion.

Complications include hypoxemia, respiratory failure, pleural effusion, empyema, lung abscess, and bacteremia, with the spread of infection to other parts of the body resulting in meningitis, endocarditis, and pericarditis.

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003

Bronchiolitis obliterans with organizing pneumonia, idiopathic: Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)

The presenting symptoms of BOOP are usually subacute, with a flulike syndrome of fever, persistent and nonproductive cough, dyspnea (especially on exertion), malaise, anorexia, and weight loss lasting from several weeks to several months. Physical assessment findings may reveal dry crackles as the only abnormality. Less common signs and symptoms include a productive cough, hemoptysis, chest pain, generalized aching, and night sweats.

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia: Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)

The patient typically has a history of an immunocompromising condition (such as HIV infection, leukemia, or lymphoma) or procedure (such as organ transplantation).

PCP begins insidiously with increasing shortness of breath and a nonproductive cough. Anorexia, generalized fatigue, and weight loss may follow. Although the patient may have hypoxemia and hypercapnia, he may not exhibit significant symptoms. He may, however, have a low-grade, intermittent fever.

Other signs and symptoms include tachypnea, dyspnea, accessory muscle use for breathing, crackles (in about one-third of patients), and decreased breath sounds (in advanced pneumonia). Cyanosis may appear with acute illness; pulmonary consolidation develops later.

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003

Rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease: Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)

In 95% of patients, rheumatic fever characteristically follows a streptococcal infection that appeared a few days to 6 weeks earlier. A temperature of at least 100.4° F (38° C) occurs.

Joint pain

Most patients complain of migratory joint pain or polyarthritis. Swelling, redness, and signs of effusion usually accompany such pain, which most commonly affects the knees, ankles, elbows, or hips.

Skin lesions and nodules

In 5% of patients (generally those with carditis), rheumatic fever causes skin lesions, such as erythema marginatum. This nonpruritic, macular, transient rash gives rise to red lesions with blanched centers.

Rheumatic fever may also produce firm, movable, nontender, subcutaneous nodules ⅛" to ¾" (0.5 to 2 cm) in diameter, usually near tendons or bony prominences of joints (especially the elbows, knuckles, wrists, and knees) and less commonly on the scalp and backs of the hands. These nodules persist for a few days to several weeks and, like erythema marginatum, often accompany carditis.

Chorea

Later, rheumatic fever may cause transient chorea, which develops up to 6 months after the original streptococcal infection.

Mild chorea may produce hyperirritability, a deterioration in handwriting, or an inability to concentrate. Severe chorea causes purposeless, nonrepetitive, involuntary muscle spasms; poor muscle coordination; and weakness. Chorea always resolves without residual neurologic damage.

Carditis

The most destructive effect of rheumatic fever is carditis, which develops in up to 50% of patients. It may affect the endocardium, myocardium, pericardium, or the heart valves.

Pericarditis causes a pericardial friction rub and, occasionally, pain and effusion. Myocarditis produces characteristic lesions called Aschoff bodies (in the acute stages) and cellular swelling and fragmentation of interstitial collagen, leading to formation of a progressively fibrotic nodule and interstitial scars.

Endocarditis causes valve leaflet swelling, erosion along the lines of leaflet closure, and blood, platelet, and fibrin deposits, which form beadlike vegetations. Endocarditis usually affects the mitral valve in females and the aortic valve in males. In both sexes, endocarditis affects the tricuspid valves occasionally and the pulmonic valve only rarely.

Severe rheumatic carditis may cause heart failure with dyspnea, right-upper-quadrant pain, tachycardia, tachypnea, significant mitral and aortic murmurs, and a hacking, nonproductive cough.

The most common murmurs include:

❑ a systolic murmur of mitral insufficiency (high-pitched, blowing, holo-systolic, loudest at apex, possibly radiating to the anterior axillary line)

❑ a midsystolic murmur caused by stiffening and swelling of the mitral leaflet

❑ occasionally, a diastolic murmur of aortic insufficiency. Valvular disease may eventually result in chronic valvular stenosis and insufficiency, including mitral stenosis and insufficiency and aortic insufficiency. In children, mitral insufficiency remains the major after-effect of rheumatic heart disease.

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003

Community-acquired Pneumonia: Presentation
(Pediatric Infectious Disease)

Recent reviews have suggested that the presence of an increased respiratory rate may be the best method to distinguish lower respiratory tract infection from the more common upper respiratory tract infections. The World Health Organization has issued guidelines for the clinical diagnosis of pneumonia in developing countries; the guidelines state that tachypnea and intercostal retractions are the best indications of lower respiratory tract disease.

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: Pediatric Infectious Disease, 2004

Article Excerpts About Symptoms of Q fever:

Only about one-half of all people infected with C. burnetii show signs of clinical illness. Most acute cases of Q fever begin with sudden onset of one or more of the following: high fevers (up to 104-105° F), severe headache, general malaise , myalgia , confusion, sore throat, chills, sweats, non-productive cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and chest pain. Fever usually lasts for 1 to 2 weeks. Weight loss can occur and persist for some time. Thirty to fifty percent of patients with a symptomatic infection will develop pneumonia. Additionally, a majority of patients have abnormal results on liver function tests and some will develop hepatitis . In general, most patients will recover to good health within several months without any treatment. Only 1%-2% of people with acute Q fever die of the disease. (Source: excerpt from Q Fever: DVRD)

Q fever as a Cause of Symptoms or Medical Conditions

When considering symptoms of Q fever, it is also important to consider Q fever as a possible cause of other medical conditions. The Disease Database lists the following medical conditions that Q fever may cause:

- (Source - Diseases Database)

Q fever: Onset and Incubation

Incubation period for Q fever: 2 to 4 weeks

Incubation period for Q fever: The incubation period for Q fever varies depending on the number of organisms that initially infect the patient. Infection with greater numbers of organisms will result in shorter incubation periods.  Most patients become ill within 2-3 weeks after exposure. Those who recover fully from infection may possess lifelong immunity against re-infection. (Source: excerpt from Q Fever: DVRD)

Medical articles and books on symptoms:

These general reference articles may be of interest in relation to medical signs and symptoms of disease in general:

Full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis

About signs and symptoms of Q fever:

The symptom information on this page attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Q fever. This signs and symptoms information for Q fever has been gathered from various sources, may not be fully accurate, and may not be the full list of Q fever signs or Q fever symptoms. Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Q fever may vary on an individual basis for each patient. Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they are indeed Q fever symptoms.


 » Next page: Diagnostic Tests for Q fever

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