Vaccination of cattle workers at risk of Q fever on the north coast of New South Wales.

BACKGROUND

Q fever is the most common zoonotic disease of livestock handlers and abattoir workers in rural Australia.

AIM: This study aimed to measure the rate of pre-existing immunity to Q fever among cattle or saleyard workers on the north coast of New South Wales (NSW).

METHOD: Participants were screened for complement fixation (CF) antibodies and returned one week later for results when a dose of Q fever vaccine was given if serum and skin tests were negative.

RESULTS

Over a 24 week period 1417 persons were tested. Of these, 394 had positive CF antibodies, a positive skin test or both; 987 were vaccinated with Qvax; 3.1% were lost to follow up.

DISCUSSION: Over 27% of cattle workers had pre-existing immunity to Q fever, indicating this population is at significant risk of infection. General practitioners working in high risk communities should routinely test and vaccinate patients at risk of Q fever.