Netherlands - Q fever outbreak - 20+ deaths

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

Q FEVER - NETHERLANDS (14): UPDATE
**********************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

******
[1]
Date: Thu 17 Dec 2009
Source: Reuters via Forexyard [edited]
http://www.forexyard.com/en/reuters...1_LDE5BG1VS_RTRIDST_0_DUTCH-LIVESTOCK-DISEASE


More Dutch farms hit by infectious goat fever
---------------------------------------------
Dutch authorities, already battling an outbreak of the highly infectious
disease, Q fever, have discovered contamination at 5 more farms and expect
further outbreaks, the Agriculture Ministry said on Thursday [17 Dec 2009].

Q fever is caused by a bacterium that is mostly transmitted to humans from
goats and sheep, especially during delivery of young, and the number of
human cases of the disease has risen to about 2200 currently from about 170
in 2007.

A total of 60 farms in the country are now known to be affected and
authorities plan to cull an extra 5000 goats on top of the 35 000 announced
on Wednesday [16 Dec 2009], a spokesman for the agriculture ministry said.
The culling of goats is set to begin on 21 Dec 2009, and will be done by
lethal injection.

For humans, Q fever causes flu-like symptoms treatable with antibiotics,
but in rare cases it can be fatal. Six people who had other diseases or
were weakened have died this year while having Q fever.

Dutch authorities have toughened up measures to stop the disease spreading
to humans following health advice, but Dutch farmers organisation LTO has
opposed the plans, particularly the decision to kill healthy animals on
contaminated farms.

[byline: Catherine Hornby]


******
[2]
Date: Thu 17 Dec 2009
Source: Radio Netherlands Worldwide [edited]
http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/dutch-farmers-resist-culling-healthy-goats


Dutch farmers resist culling of healthy goats
---------------------------------------------
The Dutch Farmers Association LTO has said it rejects the killing of
healthy goats to fight the spread of Q fever, following a cabinet proposal
to eradicate the disease by a mass slaughter of goats.

Agriculture minister Gerda Verburg and health minister Ab Klink on Thursday
[17 Dec 2009] announced an extension of the extermination scheme. Initially
just pregnant goats carrying the Q fever bacteria would be culled, because
the bacteria is mainly spread through miscarriages. Minister Verburg
changed her mind after the methods used to determine whether animals are
infected proved to be unreliable.

It is not clear whether LTO will take action against the government decision.

Mass cull starts on Monday
--------------------------
The disease has been confirmed at 55 farms, mainly in the densely populated
southern province of Noord-Brabant. An estimated 35 000 goats will be
culled, starting on Monday [21 Dec 2009].

Clear warning signs will be placed near infected farms, and maps detailing
infection locations have been published.

LTO chairman Albert Jan Maat acknowledged that Minister Verburg had wanted
to spare the lives of healthy animals, but he questions the validity and
timing of the arguments she gave to now include all goats.

Horrible
--------
LTO also says it is callous to let the goat farmers foot the bill. MPs in
The Hague support the ministers' decision, but emphasise they find it
horrible. The matter will be debated on Thursday.

Goat farming spread in the Netherlands when other cattle, such as pigs,
cows, as well as chickens, were widely affected by diseases. Goats appeared
a safer option, and the number of animals rose to 374 000. The average goat
farm has about a thousand animals. They are kept for their milk and meat,
most of which is exported.

******
[3]
Date: Wed 16 Dec 2009
Source: AFP via IOL [edited]
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=31&art_id=nw20091216181330919C221815


Netherlands to slaughter more animals
-------------------------------------
The Netherlands stepped up measures on Wednesday [16 Dec 2009] against the
world's biggest Q fever epidemic that has killed 10 humans, by ordering the
slaughter of over 30 000 animals, a press release said. The ministry of
agriculture announced the "preventative slaughter" of 34 000 expectant
goats and ewes, and 1200 billy goats "will be killed too as they can
transmit the infection through their sperm."

Q fever, found in 55 Dutch farms so far, has killed 6 people in 2009 and
Dutch authorities say 10 farm workers have died in total since the fever
appeared in 2007 in the south of the country.

The slaughter had involved 15 000 - 20 000 non-vaccinated expectant goats,
but this has now been extended to vaccinated animals in an attempt to limit
the spread of bacteria when animals give birth or during forced abortions.
[Updated figures available in items 1,2].

The slaughter accounts for more than half the livestock from the 55
infected farms, mostly situated in the southern Brabant province. The
authorities warn that the slaughter will now be carried out in all farms
where the infection is found.

All reproductive activity in ovine and caprine farms is forbidden until
July 2010 and reproduction between animals in the infected farms has been
banned for life.

An obligatory animal vaccination campaign was launched at the start of 2009
in the Netherlands, but due to a lack of vaccinations, it was not able to
cover the whole country.

******
[4]
Date: Thu 17 Dec 2009
Source: Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality website -
Animal diseases - Q fever [Dutch, trans. Mod.AS, edited]
http://www.minlnv.nl/portal/page?_p...nt_id=2124959&p_node_id=2127404&p_mode=BROWSE


Questions and answers regarding Q fever

---------------------------------------

1. How many goats are there in the Netherlands?
During 2008, there were about 350 000 goats [on commercial farms. -
Mod.AS]. These animals are not kept exclusively on goat farms; many cattle
farms keep goats as well, as a side-line business. In addition, several
hundred thousand goats are kept as "hobby animals".

2. How many dairy goats are there in the Netherlands?
About 250 000

3. How many sheep are there in the Netherlands?
During 2008 there were about 1 200 000 sheep in the Netherlands. These
animals are not kept exclusively on sheep farms; many cattle farms keep
sheep as well, as a side-line business. In addition, several hundred
thousand sheep are kept as "hobby animals."

4. How many dairy sheep are there in the Netherlands?
There are few dairy sheep farms in the Netherlands, including a total of
several thousand animals. Besides, no dairy sheep farms are infected by Q
fever [it would help if this last statement were officially confirmed. -
Mod.AS].

5. How many farms are infected?
Based upon the results of the bulk milk tests, it has been established that
the Q fever bacterium is present on 55 dairy goat farms. 43 of them
vaccinated during 2009 against Q fever; 1 farm is situated outside the
vaccination area. [for updated data, see item 1 above. - Mod.AS].

6. When is a farm declared as infected?
A farm is declared infected when repeated bulk milk tests, performed by
both the VWA (Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority) and CVI (Central
Veterinary Institute), are found positive.

7. How can I, as a citizen, know if a farm is infected?
Infected farms are banned for visitors. The farms themselves must make this
known. Only persons who are required to visit the farms due to their
professional obligations, are allowed to enter infected premises. The state
authorities publish the areas within which infected farms are present. Once
in 2 months, geographic maps are published on the websites of the VWA and
RIVM (Institute for Public Health and the Environment).

8. Is Q fever an occupational disease?
Q fever is a disease which appears more often in animal holders,
veterinarians and slaughterhouse personnel. But Q fever appears also in
people who have no connection to animals. Anyone can get infected by
inhaling air which includes the bacterium.

-

[According to a press release of the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, dated
16 Dec 2009, the total number of animals in the 55 infected farms is around
64 000 dairy goats, of which over 34 000 are pregnant animals and over 1200
are bucks. The 5 farms found now infected and added to the 55 list, are
part of 16 hitherto "suspected" farms with 17 500 animals (including 10 000
pregnant animals and 350 bucks), of which results were expected this week.
It would be interesting to know if the remaining 11 "suspected" farms have
been found to be uninfected or otherwise. According to the press release,
the expectation is that during the coming few months, bulk-milk testing
will discover new infected farms.

It would be helpful to know the total number of dairy goat and dairy sheep
farms which have been already tested, at least once, by the bulk milk (PCR)
tests. If, as the Q&A item tells, dairy goats are also kept on mixed farms
(with cattle), and if the non-commercial goat sector includes a total
number of animals which seems to be of approximate size as the commercial
sector ("hundred thousand"), the Dutch veterinary authorities have a huge
task on their hands.

In a previous posting on Q fever in the Netherlands, we referred
subscribers to a Dutch SCFCAH presentation on the issue, dated May 2009. We
are grateful to a Dutch subscriber who has drawn our attention to a more
recent (Nov 2009) presentation, available at
http://ec.europa.eu/food/committees...ealth/presentations/0304112009_q_fever_nl.pdf.

A map showing the 55 infected farms throughout the Netherlands is to be
found on page 10 of the Letter from the Minister of Agriculture to the
Dutch Parliament, dated 9 Dec 2009. Its annex (8 pages) includes the
detailed advise of the RIVM expert group, submitted to the Minister on 4
Dec 2009; see at
http://www.novatv.nl/data/media/db_download/76_409b4b.pdf (in Dutch). -
Mod.AS

The interactive HealthMap/ProMED map for The Netherlands is available at
<http://healthmap.org/r/00S1> - CopyEd.EJP]

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[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

Q FEVER - NETHERLANDS (15): UPDATE
**********************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

******
[1]
Date: Fri 18 Dec 2009
Source: Dutch Ministry of Agriculture Press release [trans. Mod.AS, edited]
http://www.minlnv.nl/portal/page?_pageid=116,1640333&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&p_news_item_id=24950


Total ban on animal introduction
--------------------------------
Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV) Gerda Verburg has
decided, in relation to Q fever, to declare a full ban on the
transportation of dairy goats and dairy sheep. Until now, all
milk-producing sheep and goat farms, including more than 50 animals, have
been allowed to introduce vaccinated animals. In line with the wish of the
House [Parliament], Minister Verburg has now prohibited the introduction of
animals into all milk-producing sheep and goat farms. This applies to both
vaccinated and non-vaccinated animals. Starting Fri 18 Dec 2009, 0700 pm,
until 1 Jul 2010, transportation of such animals is allowed only to
fattening farms/holdings or directly to slaughterhouses.

******
[2]
Date: Sat 19 Dec 2009
Source: BN/De Stem [trans. Mod.AS, abridged]
http://www.bndestem.nl/regio/ooster...rststal-zonder-schapen-vanwege-de-Qkoorts.ece


Live nativity without sheep because of the Q-fever
--------------------------------------------------
For the 5th year there has been a live Christmas display in the barn behind
the nursing home in the Volckaert, Dongen [North Brabant, southern
Netherlands].

The event includes musical entertainment by various choirs and visitors
admire the thickly wrapped Christmas baby, asleep in the manger. Mary,
Joseph, the shepherds, and the angel stand around, rubbing hands while an
accordionist plays Christmas songs. Elly Haest was, 5 years ago, the
initiator: "I came here during the mornings before Christmas, saw them
building the stall and thought that something ought to be done to liven it
up. Each year, the group is ready to portray the Christmas play. This year,
no sheep, because of Q-fever."

[The new decision of Minister Verburg to totally ban introduction of dairy
goats and sheep into milk-producing plants is explained in the Letter to
the Parliament of 18 Dec 2009. This letter includes also other revisions in
the current policy, such as the postponement of the destruction of male
goats and sheep (bucks and rams) in the infected flocks, initially due to
start on Mon 22 Dec 2009. The revised decision will allow repeated
individual tests of such animals to distinguish between infected and
non-infected animals on infected farms.

Another point in the letter addresses the ban upon establishment of new
dairy goats or sheep plants, or increase in the size of existing flocks,
implemented until July 2010. The full text of the letter (in Dutch) is
available at the above website.

A map and a detailed list (full addresses) of all 60 infected goat farms in
the Netherlands, updated 18 Dec 2009, are available at
http://www.vwa.nl/portal/page?_page...ent_id=932575&p_node_id=2129342&p_mode=BROWSE.

A total of 55 of the infected farms were, reportedly, declared infected on
12 Nov 2009; 5 additional dairy goat farms were declared infected on 17 Dec
2009. No sheep farms are among them.

"Information from the Netherlands on the Q fever situation" has been put as
the 1st agenda item to be discussed during the next meeting of EU's
Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health, Section Animal
Health and Welfare, due to meet in Brussels on Tue 12 Jan 2010.

The Dutch reporting on Q fever to OIE's WAHID system, as included in the
annual reports, was as follows:

2005: disease present, not notifiable, 1 new outbreak in cattle. Human
disease: 5 cases.

2006: disease present, notifiable (cattle, sheep, goats), no quantitative
data. Human disease: 12 cases.

2007: disease present, notifiable as above, 1 new outbreak, 9 total
outbreaks (1 cattle, 7 goats, 1 sheep). Human disease: 127 cases.

2008: disease present, notifiable (sheep, goats), 12 new outbreaks (1
cattle, 5 goats, 1 sheep). Human disease: 1014 cases, 1 death.

2009: no semi-annual report available yet.

For comparison: Germany reported 109 outbreaks in animals in 2007, 157 in
2008; Switzerland, respectively, 59 and 65. No data on human disease
incidence in these countries during these years are currently available in
WAHID.

The geographical distribution, the proximity to human population,
and the density of animal and human populations around the foci are not
known to us and would be interesting to note. In any case, (poor)
correlation between reported Q fever outbreaks in animals and its incidence
in humans, as observed in the Netherlands, deserves further study. In
addition: it would be interesting to obtain data on the rate of subclinical
(seropositive) cases in the human population, on top of clinical cases.

According to Article 1.1.3. of OIE's Terrestrial Animal Health Code,
Veterinary Authorities should notify "evidence of change in the
epidemiology of a listed disease (including host range, pathogenicity,
strain) in particular if there is a zoonotic impact." The Dutch authorities
may give consideration to the question if the major Q fever event falls
within this requirement. - Mod.AS]

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[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

The bacterial strain in the Netherlands was isolated in June this year.

The strain apparently is different from any other C B strain found in other countries.

Some speculate the current strain in the Netherlands is more virulent.

Research is ongoing.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

Source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5g0mfV0_3Zx8iI03PfCAba32igVMA

Dutch cull first of 40,000 goats to counter Q-fever outbreak, which has killed 6 people

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (CP)

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands ? The Dutch government on Monday began culling the first of thousands of pregnant goats and sheep targeted for destruction because they carry a disease that killed six people earlier this year.

Humans rarely contract the bacterial sickness known as Q-fever, but the unusual outbreak in the Netherlands has been growing since 2007 and is believed to have infected 2,300 people this year.

The Agriculture Ministry ordered preventative measures, including vaccinations and a transport ban earlier this month, as well as the slaughter of pregnant animals. These carry the bacteria in high concentrations and are believed to be the main source of human infections, which usually occur during the goats' birthing season.

Agriculture Ministry spokesman Thijs van Son said culling had begun on three out of the 60 farms currently identified as having infected animals.

On infected farms, pregnant females were identified by echosonogram and marked with red paint, while others were marked with green paint.

Farmer Henk van Loon described how his milk goats were sedated, then killed with a lethal injection.

In all, 40,000 infected goats and sheep will be killed over the next month. Van Son said twice that many will likely be destroyed before the birthing season begins in March, as more cases are still being identified.

Though Q-fever usually causes only flulike symptoms in humans, it is known to present an extra threat for people with autoimmune diseases and with heart valve problems.

Experts believe the outbreak in the Netherlands, the most severe on record, is due to intensive farming combined with the country's dense human population.

There are about 1.2 million sheep and 400,000 goats on 350 farms in the Netherlands, a country of 16 million people.

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

Q FEVER - NETHERLANDS (16): PATHOGENICITY, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
***********************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

Date: Thu 17 Dec 2009
Source: Radio 1 News [in Dutch, trans. Mod.AS, edited]
http://www.radio1.nl/contents/11195-nederlandse-q-koorts-bacterie-is-agressiever


The Q fever bacterium, prevailing in the Netherlands, is unique in
the world. In addition, the Dutch bacterium is possibly more
aggressive than the [Q fever] bacteria prevailing in other countries.
This emerges from research carried out by the Central Veterinary
Institute (CVI) in Lelystad.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail promed@promedmail.org

[The above source, kindly provided by a Dutch correspondent, includes
a recorded interview with Hendrik-Jan Roest from the CVI, Lelystad.
Though the wording of the newswire may be somewhat exaggerated by the
reporter, the issue deserves attention. Among other things, Dr Roest
mentions in his interview on-going investigations into the
pathogenicity of the Dutch strain. One of the time-consuming
procedures described by him is the isolation of this intracellular
bacterium in cell culture.

The possibility that the Dutch strain is unique and possibly of
exceptional pathogenicity (to humans? animals?) is of significance;
available results, even preliminary, will be appreciated.

The destruction of infected goat flocks has commenced in south
Netherlands today (Mon 21 Dec 2009). According to Dutch media
reports, the teams will handle about 3 holdings per day, starting
with those farms where the animals are in more advanced pregnancy
(the gestation period in goats is 145-155 days). No activities will
take place during the holidays. In the meantime, another goat flock
in Limburg, south Netherlands has been found infected. The list of
infected farms counts now at 61, with about 40 000 animals to be
destroyed. - Mod.AS]

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[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

Q FEVER - NETHERLANDS (17): PATHOGENICITY, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
******************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

Date: Tue 22 Dec 2009

From: Catherine Filejski Catherine.Filejski@ontario.ca [edited]


Re: ProMED-mail Q fever - Netherlands (16): pathogenicity, RFI 20091222.4304
----------------------------------------------------------------------
With respect to the request for information about the strain(s) of
_Coxiella burnetii_ causing the Dutch Q Fever outbreak, the US
Centers for Disease Control Emerging Infectious Diseases journal
published a letter from Dutch researchers working in Nijmegen and
Eindhoven in April 2009, reporting some preliminary results from
multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) typing
of _C. burnetii_ from a variety of human and animal clinical samples
linked to the outbreak obtained from different locations in the Netherlands.

The article (Multigenotype Q Fever Outbreak, the Netherlands by CHW
Klaassen, MH Nabuurs-Franssen, JJHC Tilburg, et al, Emerg Infect Dis.
2009 April; 15(4): 613-4. doi: 10.3201/eid1504.081612) is available at
http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/15/4/613.htm.

The authors reported results showing "that the unprecedented, ongoing
Q fever outbreak in the Netherlands involves multiple genotypes of
_C. burnetii_. Because most of the genotypes differ only by a single
repeat difference, they might represent microvariants of a
hypervirulent strain that has been introduced in the Dutch animal population."

--
Dr Catherine Filejski, DVM, MA, MEPA, PhD[ABD]
Veterinary Consultant
Enteric, Zoonotic and Vector-Borne Disease Unit
Prevention and Control Section
Public Health Protection and Prevention Branch
Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
Toronto, ON M2M 4K5
Canada
<Catherine.Filejski@ontario.ca>

[The authors of the letter to the editor of 'Emerging Infectious
Diseases' above hypothesize that the Dutch strain of _C. burnetii_ is
'hypervirulent'. Experimental evidence for such statement and/or for
the pathogenicity of the strain, as alluded to in ProMED-mail posting
20091222.4304, has yet to be provided. Our request for information is
maintained. - Mod.AS]

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[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

USA- CDC Centers for Disease Control

Journal Emerging Infectious Diseases

Volume 15, Number 4–April 2009

Letter

Multigenotype Q Fever Outbreak, the Netherlands

Corné H.W. Klaassen, Marrigje H. Nabuurs-Franssen, Jeroen J.H.C. Tilburg, Maurice A.W.M. Hamans, and Alphons M. Horrevorts

Author affiliations: Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, the Netherlands (C.H.W. Klaassen, M.H. Nabuurs-Franssen, J.J.H.C. Tilburg, A.M. Horrevorts); Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen (M.H. Nabuurs-Franssen); and Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, Eindhoven, the Netherlands (M.A.W.M. Hamans)


To the Editor: Q fever is a zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii (1). An ongoing Q fever outbreak has occurred in the Netherlands since 2007; incidence rates have increased >50-fold compared with the baseline rate (2). The source of this outbreak is unknown. Identifying the source of an infection is complicated because of difficulties in obtaining sufficient clinical and/or environmental samples for testing. Molecular diagnosis of Q fever has focused on the use of serum samples. Up-to-date genotyping of C. burnetii has depended on cultivation and enrichment of the isolate before analysis (3). We report multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) typing of C. burnetii for a variety of human and animal clinical samples obtained from different locations in the Netherlands (Table). (Edit: for link to table, go to original article)

Severe pneumonia developed in patient 1 after close contact with sheep (ewes) and intimate cuddling with a newborn lamb. Patients 2 and 3 (a dairy goat farmer and his wife from another village) tested positive for Q fever after a large part of their goat herd aborted offspring. The farmer had no clinical symptoms; his wife had mild symptoms that disappeared spontaneously within 2 days. No samples from any of the goats were available. Two additional patients were tested, 1 of which lived in the same village as patients 2 and 3.

Swab specimens from all sheep and lambs tested in the first case yielded identical MLVA genotypes. The same genotype was also found in patient 1 but not in the other examined samples, implicating sheep as the origin of patient 1's infection. Although patients 2 and 3 lived together, the genotype found in patient 2 differed from the (partial) genotype found in patient 3. Yet another genotype was found in a patient from the same village (patient 4). However, an identical genotype found in patient 2 was found in a patient from a distant village (patient 5). The village had only 1 goat farm, and if this herd of goats was the source of infection for the farmer, his wife, and patient 4, it would have contained >1 genotype. At least 1 of the obtained genotypes has spread over a wider surface area in the Netherlands.

Our results show that the unprecedented, ongoing Q fever outbreak in the Netherlands involves multiple genotypes of C. burnetii. Because most of the genotypes differ only by a single repeat difference, they might represent microvariants of a hypervirulent strain that has been introduced in the Dutch animal population. MLVA schemes with up to 17 markers have been previously reported (3). In this "proof of concept" (applying direct genotyping of C. burnetti on clinical samples), we focused on the 3 shortest repeat units because we believed that these units might have the highest à priori chance of successful amplification in clinical samples (especially in serum/plasma). Similar genotypes as those reported here were found in the MLVA database (http://mlva.u-psud.fr), but these similarities need confirmation by using more markers. Although using only 3 markers may lead to poor discriminatory power, we were still able to distinguish 4 different genotypes in a relatively small collection of serum samples. We are currently exploring the use of additional MLVA markers.

Our results also show a poor correlation between DNA load and clinical symptoms. Multiple human and animal clinical samples, including serum and plasma, throat or genital swabs, or sputum and urine, may be useful for direct genotyping and outbreak source tracking.

References

Raoult D, Marrie TJ, Mege JL. Natural history and pathophysiology of Q fever. Lancet Infect Dis. 2005;5:219–26. PubMed DOI

Schimmer B, Morray G, Dijkstra F, Schneeberger PM, Weers-Pothoff G, Timer A, et al. Large ongoing Q fever outbreak in the south of the Netherlands, 2008. Euro Surveill. 2008;13ii=18939 [cited 2009 Feb 18]. Available from http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=18939

Arricau-bouvery N, Hauck Y, Bejaoui A, Frangoulidis D, Bodier CC, Souriau A, et al. Molecular characterization of Coxiella burnetii isolates by infrequent restriction site-PCR and MLVA typing. BMC Microbiol. 2006;6:38. PubMed DOI
Table

Table. Genotyping results for human and animal clinical samples, Q fever outbreak, the Netherlands

Suggested Citation for this Article

Klaassen CHW, Nabuurs-Franssen MH, Tilburg JJHC, Hamans MAWM, Horrevorts AM. Multigenotype Q fever outbreak, the Netherlands [letter]. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2009 Apr [date cited]. Available from http://www.cdc.gov/EID/content/15/4/613.htm

DOI: 10.3201/eid1504.081612


Comments to the Authors
Please use the form below to submit correspondence to the authors or contact them at the following address:

Corné H.W. Klaassen, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Weg door Jonkerbos 100, 6532 SZ Nijmegen, the Netherlands; email: c.klaassen@cwz.nl

http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/15/4/613.htm

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

Comment: as far as I know no systematic rodent control at the moment on infected Q-fever farms in the Netherlands. So after the culling of goats, rats and mice may cause new infections?

Testing of cats?




Q fever (Coxiella burnetii) reservoir in wild brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) populations in the UK

J. P. Webstera1, G. Lloyda2 and D. W. Macdonalda1

a1 Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS
a2 Centre for Applied Microbiology and Research, Division of Pathology, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JG
Article author query
webster jp
lloyd g
macdonald dw

Seroprevalence of Coxiella burnetii, the causal agent of Q fever in humans, was examined in wild brown rat populations from 4 Oxfordshire farmsteads (n = 127), 9 Somerset homesteads (n = 98), and 1 captive enclosure (n = 88) in the UK. Seroprevalence ranged between 7 and 53%, the lowest being within the captive population and the highest on dairy farmsteads with sheep present.

This is the first reported investigation of C. burnetii in wild rats outside India.

We suggest that the high Seroprevalence among rats (i) provides evidence that wild rats constitute an important reservoir for C. burnetii in the UK, and (ii) explains why cats, as frequent predators of rats, are so important in the epidemiology of this disease.

(Received April 15 1994)

(Revised May 18 1994)

(Accepted June 03 1994)

http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=4266096

 

[tropical]

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

#48:
"Q fever (Coxiella burnetii) reservoir in wild brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) populations in the UK"
"We suggest that the high Seroprevalence among rats (i) provides evidence that wild rats constitute an important reservoir for C. burnetii"


This brown rat species seems more agressive (daily activity included).
If that's the proliferation way, it will be harder to stop it.

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

A comment from ProMED; includes link to OIE-report .

Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
promed@promedmail.org

[The culling of pregnant goats in the infected goat holdings in the
Netherlands is continuing in a pace of 3 holdings per day; as of Mon
28 Dec 2009 the operation was completed in 12 of the 61 infected
holdings.

Authorities in neighbouring Belgium, where, so far, 7 goat or sheep
holdings have been found Q-fever infected, have intensified their
preparedness, and are keeping an open eye for developments. However,
reportedly they are not overly concerned since the structure of the
dairy goat and sheep farming industry there is not similar to the one
prevailing in south Netherlands.


The Belgian Food Safety agency also took measures to safeguard the
adequate pasteurisation of sheep and goat milk before entering the
dairy plants. The newswire from Qatar is posted to demonstrate the
potential impact of a Q fever epizootic (of unusual dimensions and
probably enhanced, or unknown, pathogenicity) upon international
trade in animals and their products. This, in spite of the fact that
Q fever is generally not regarded as a trade-limiting factor, being
endemic in most countries and avoided by standard food-processing
techniques. Similar media reports appeared, several weeks ago, in
Russia.

On Tue 29 Dec 2009 the Dutch Veterinary Services submitted to the OIE
their 1st ("initial" and "immediate") notification on the Q fever
outbreak. The reason for the notification is given as "New strain of
a listed disease." The initial report provides information about one
goat farm in Waspik, Noord Brabant province. it is available at
http://www.oie.int/wahis/reports/en_imm_0000008788_20091229_155850.pdf.


The epidemiological comments say: "There are 61 outbreaks of Q fever
at this moment in the Netherlands. The rest of the outbreaks will be
provided in the next weekly follow-up report."

Hopefully, the due weekly report will include further details,
explaining the decision of the Dutch Veterinary Services to define
the _Coxiella burnetii_ strain which is circulating in the
Netherlands as "new." As reported in posting 20091222.4312, a letter
from Dutch researchers, published in the US Centers for Disease
Control 'Emerging Infectious Diseases' journal of April 2009,
reported results showing "that the unprecedented, ongoing Q fever
outbreak in the Netherlands involves multiple genotypes of _C.
burnetii_. Because most of the genotypes differ only by a single
repeat difference, they might represent microvariants of a
hypervirulent strain that has been introduced in the Dutch animal
population." See at
http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/15/4/613.htm. - Mod.AS

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/otn/f..._BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,80678

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

Q FEVER - NETHERLANDS (20): GOATS, OIE
**************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

Date: 29 Dec 2009

Source: OIE WAHID Disease Information 2009; 22(53) [edited]
http://www.oie.int/wahid-prod/public.php?page=weekly_report_index&admin=0


Q fever, Netherlands

Information received on 29 Dec 2009 from Mr Peter W. de Leeuw, Chief
Veterinary Officer, Food Quality and Animal Health, Ministry of
Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, LA HAYE, Netherlands

Summary
Report type: Immediate notification
Start date 1 Oct 2009
Date of 1st confirmation of the event 12 Nov 2009
Report date 29 Dec 2009
Date submitted to OIE 29 Dec 2009
Reason for notification: New strain of a listed disease
Manifestation of disease: Clinical disease
Causal agent: Unknown
Nature of diagnosis: Clinical, Laboratory (basic), Laboratory (advanced)
This event pertains to the whole country

New outbreaks
Outbreak 1 Waspik, NOORD-BRABANT
Date of start of the outbreak 1 Oct 2009
Outbreak status: Continuing (or date resolved not provided)
Epidemiological unit: Farm

Species Goats
Susceptible 567
Cases 314
Deaths 0
Destroyed 314
Slaughtered 0

Summary of outbreaks: Total outbreaks: 1
Outbreak statistics
Species Goats
Apparent morbidity rate 55.38 percent
Apparent mortality rate 0.00 percent
Apparent case fatality rate 0.00 percent
Proportion susceptible animals lost* 55.38 percent *Removed from the
susceptible population through death, destruction and/or slaughter

Epidemiology: Source of the outbreak(s) or origin of infection.
Unknown or inconclusive

Epidemiological comments There are 61 outbreaks of Q fever at this
moment in the Netherlands. The rest of the outbreaks will be provided
in the next weekly follow-up reports.

Control measures. Measures applied - Movement control inside the
country; Screening; Modified stamping out; No vaccination; No
treatment of affected animals.

Measures to be applied - No other measures

Diagnostic test results
Laboratory name and type Central Veterinary Institute (CVI), Lelystad
(National laboratory)
Species Goats
Test polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
Test date 12 Nov 2009
Result Positive

Future Reporting
The event is continuing. Weekly follow-up reports will be submitted.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail promed@promedmail.org

[As indicated in the epidemiological comment above, this is a
widespread outbreak whose details on the other 61 farms will be
published by OIE in the near future. The outbreak is designated as
being caused by a new strain of _Coxiella burnetii_. It will be
informative to get the details of the other 61 outbreaks and what
relation this new strain has to the publication about Q fever in the
Netherlands last April 2009 in the EID journal. Please see more
detailed comments by Mod.AS in "Q fever - Netherlands (19): update
20091229.4375" or the original journal article, "Multigenotype Q
Fever Outbreak, the Netherlands by CHW Klaassen, MH Nabuurs-Franssen,
JJHC Tilburg, et al, Emerg Infect Dis. 2009 April; 15(4): 613-4. doi:
10.3201/eid1504.081612)," which is available at http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/15/4/613.htm. - Mod.PC]

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/otn/f..._BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,80693

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

Comment from ProMED moderator AS (my wording): regarding monitoring sheep don't get as much attention as goats in the Netherlands?

Revised regulations on bulk tank milk Q fever monitoring
--------------------------------------------------------
Minister Gerda Verburg of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV),
has revised the temporary animal disease regulations concerning Q
fever. The Animal Health Service (GD) examines bulk tank milk samples
for the presence of _Coxiella burnetii_ (Q fever). In most sheep and
goat farms, these samples are collected by the GD. Some farmers,
however, send their samples to the GD independently. Following the
modification in the regulations, the DG will collect samples from
these farms directly, similarly to all other farms. By this
arrangement, the quality of the samples and the reliability of the
research results will improve. This regulation addresses about 50 out
of the 411 sheep and goat farms. The changes take effect on 30 Dec
2009, at 4.00 pm.

Compulsory periodic bulk tank milk monitoring has been introduced in
the Netherlands as of 1 Oct 2009. Its purpose is to detect, by
frequent testing, newly infected farms. The monitoring frequency is,
as of 14 Dec 2009, increased to once every 2 weeks. [The initial
required sampling frequency was once in 2 months; the revision is
explained by the fact that excretion of the bacterium may be
intermittent. - Mod.AS]

[The given number of monitored farms, 411, most probably does not
include the 61 farms already declared infected, in which all pregnant
animals are to be culled (a measure already under application). The
monitoring system addresses farms with more than 50 lactating
animals.

These make only part of the Dutch goat and sheep industries,
with a total of 350 000 goats and at least 1.2 million sheep (2008
figures; reportedly, there are also several hundred-thousand sheep
kept in non-commercial holdings as "hobby animals"). While most goats
are milk producers, most sheep are kept for mutton production. The
current monitoring addresses only dairy sheep, the number of which
being rather low (how many farms?).

However, sheep are regarded, in
many countries, as the major Q fever reservoir, excreting the
pathogen mainly during the lambing season. Data on serosurveillance
in Dutch sheep, and the number of dairy goat farms with less than 50
animals, will be of epidemiological interest.

More than 75 years following its initial discovery (in Hamilton,
Montana, USA and in Melbourne, Queensland, Australia) there are still
many "queries" regarding Q or query fever. These relate, mainly, to
the epidemiology of the disease in animals and man and to the
characteristics of the microorganism.

Investigations by the Dutch
researchers have already provided some interesting results, such as
the initial findings that the bacterium can be detected in air
samples, shortly after the outbreak, at distances of 500 and 1000 m
(0.3-0.6 mi] around the infected dairy goat farm. However, the
duration of detectability of the bacteria in the air is not yet known.

The current outbreak of unprecedented magnitude in a highly
industrialised, densely populated country with a (still) strong
agrarian sector may provide a unique opportunity for research in
order to obtain answers to some of the pending queries. The effort,
which seems to be invested by the researchers, eventually backed by
the government, is promising. - Mod.AS]

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/otn/f..._BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,80745

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

Q FEVER - NETHERLANDS (03): UPDATE
***********************************

[1]
Date: Wed 6 Jan 2010
Source: Dutch Ministry of Agriculture press release [trans. by
communicator, abridged, edited]
http://www.minlnv.nl/portal/page?_pageid=116,1640333&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&p_news_item_id=24977


6 Jan 2010 Ministries update
-----------------------------
Ministers Verburg (LNV/Agriculture) and Klink (VWS/Public Health)
have sent a letter to Parliament today [6 Jan 2010] about the
activities regarding Q-fever control. This press release covers the
main points included in that letter, as well as information on
modifications for bulk milk monitoring and other current issues
presented hereunder.

1. Update on the cullings
-------------------------
At the moment, 61 farms have been declared contaminated, based on
bulk milk testing results. We expect to have the results of the
current [biweekly] bulk milk tests next week. At 24 contaminated
farms, animals have been examined for pregnancy to distinguish the
pregnant and not-pregnant. Subsequently, all pregnant animals on
these farms have been valued. So far, a total of 8724 animals on 21
farms have been culled.

2. Small-scale farms and children's/petting farms
-----------------------------------------
Minister Klink has asked the experts' group [see comment] to advise
him about the health risks of Q-fever at children's farms, farms with
less than 50 animals and farms with a public function [e.g. nursing
homes etc.]. According to the experts, no extra measures need to be
taken regarding this cluster of farms.

The experts believe that direct contact with sheep and goats is not a
risk factor. Recent research data also show that Q-fever bacteria are
hardly ever found at children's farms. There are no indications that
children's farms and other small-scale farms have a higher health
risk to the public.

The experts advised, however, to pay special attention to hygiene
measures. Therefore, a hygiene protocol will be made for the
small-scale sheep and goat farms. As soon as this protocol is
available, it will be published on the website page "Hobbydierhouders
en dierhouders met een publieke functie" (Hobby animal holders and
animal keepers with a public function).

Notification to the VWA (Food Safety Authority) in case of an
abnormal number of abortions, has long been obligatory for hobby
animal holders and animal keepers with a public function (like
children's farms). After notification, the VWA used to investigate
the farm as a standard procedure; until recently, such holdings were
tested for _Brucella melitensis_ bacteria (causing Brucellosis).
Currently, such notifications will be followed also by testing for
the Q-fever bacteria (_Coxiella burnetii_).

3. Mutton sheep farms
---------------------
The experts' group led by the RIVM (National Institute for Public
Health and Environment) has already advised on 24 Jul 2009 that
mutton-type sheep farms pose no risk within the Q-fever epidemic.
However, large numbers of ewes are soon to start lambing in the huge
straw-bedding stables at the large-scale mutton-type sheep farms.
Therefore, it has been decided that for these large-scale farms, the
same precautionary policy will be applied as for small-scale farms
with less than 50 ruminants. Hence, the advice addressing the hygiene
protocol for small-scale farms and children's farms will be also
applied in the mutton producing farms.

4. Judicial verdict
-------------------
On 4 Jan 2010, the judge of the Board of Appeal for Commerce and
Industry has issued a sentence on account of the request from a goat
keeper to spare from culling the animals which were kept in a
different location than the holding found infected, although both
groups of animals were registered under the same company number as
the infected farm. The request from this goat keeper has been denied.
According to the judge, both locations are connected units of one
company, as goats have been taken from one location to the other. At
the location which, according to the goat keeper, was Q-fever free,
offspring of goats from the infected holding are kept. The latter was
found infected by means of the bulk milk tests. Besides, the goats on
the Q-fever "free" location have not all been vaccinated on time. The
full text of the judge's sentence (verdict No BK8183 is available at
http://www.rechtspraak.nl/Gerechten...lijke+geiten+op+beide+locaties+toegestaan.htm.




[Thanks to Christine Bijl, as well as to Mary Marshall and Sabine
Zentis for their share in obtaining the above information.

The letter VDC 09.2949/CPM of the Agriculture Minister to the Dutch
Parliament, dated 6 Jan 2010, is accompanied by 2 letters (23 Dec
2009, 5 Jan 2010), addressed to both ministries by Prof Roel
Coutinho, Director of the Centre for Infectious Disease Control of
the RIVM [National Dutch Institute for Public Health and the
Environment].

The 2 letters include the detailed replies to new
queries from the 2 Ministries requesting scientific advice concerning
issues raised during the epidemic. The RIVM response is based upon
consultations of experts, principally veterinarians, physicians and
microbiologists. The consultations are chaired by Prof Coutinho, and
the secretary of the body is Dr Jim van Steenbergen, RIVM. The lists
of the experts involved are attached to each advisory response.

Earlier meetings of the experts group were conducted on 11 and 30 Nov
2009, similarly chaired by Prof Coutinho. Several written advices,
agreed to by the experts, have already been attached to Ministers'
letters to the Parliament (e.g. 16 Dec 2009).

All interested in the
various aspects (e.g. scientific-professional, political, social,
economic etc.) of coordinated control of emerging or re-emerging
zoonotic diseases are certainly following with great interest the
evolvement and management of the Dutch Q fever epidemic. - Mod.AS

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/otn/f..._BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,80806

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

January 18 2010 ~ "How could it have got to this point: that people became ill and animals had to die?"

The Dutch Agarische Dagblad quotes the conclusions of the TV news NOS-Journaal. Extract (translation):

"....23 July 2007 those whose job it is to protect the Dutch population from outbreaks of infectious diseases had asked for data on infected premises. They did not get them. Accordingly they could not get proper insight in how the disease spread, says the news broadcast.

Besides infected farms were not under any obligation to notify the authorities of the disease, even though policy makers were aware of the risks to public health...

Various measures were postponed for a long time; meanwhile Q-fever was spreading further because a farm would only be declared infected if more than 5% of the pregnant animals were aborting. Large farms where Q-fever infection remained below 5%, did not have to take any measures at all - and in the mean time, billions of bacteria could spread, infected goats were able to be transported all through the Netherlands, infected manure was spread and ploughed in other provinces and the Q-fever bacterium blew over the whole of the Brabant countryside.

People got ill. People were hospitalised with serious pneumonia. People got chronic heart valve infection. People died. And people got angry..."

Read in full (Dutch)

thanks to Warmwell

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

If you want to know more of the Q fever in the Netherlands : watch these recent presentations :

Q-fever in the Netherlands:
a short introduction and veterinary research

http://ec.europa.eu/food/committees...short introductin and veterinary research.pdf



Update on Public Health context after the
recent reports of clusters of Q Fever human
cases in The Netherlands
European Commission

http://ec.europa.eu/food/committees...esentations/120110_q_fever_ec_netherlands.pdf



Q-fever in the Netherlands

http://ec.europa.eu/food/committees...herlands_ministry_agri_nature_foodquality.pdf


Typing of Coxiella burnetii;
Why is Q-fever causing problems in the
Netherlands?

http://ec.europa.eu/food/committees...fever_causing_problems_in_the_netherlands.pdf

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

Human Q-fever cases in the Netherlands are mostly related to Q-fever in goats.

However other animals can be a reservoir for human contamination too.

At the moment sheep are getting more attention in the Netherlands. 19 premises / sheepfarms were found to be contaminated with the Q-fever bacteria, after people fell ill.

Hardly or no measures are taken yet..........("we need more information", etc, etc...)

Report in Dutch: http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showpost.php?p=336883&postcount=116

An illustration of human Q-fever related to large scale sheepfarming can be found in this report of an outbreak in Germany, 1996:

Q Fever Outbreak -- Germany, 1996

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00045670.htm

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreaks - 11 deaths

Published Date 25-JAN-2010


Q FEVER - NETHERLANDS (08): SHEEP, UPDATE
*****************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org

Date: Mon 25 Jan 2010
Source: Brabants Dagblad (daily) via De Ondernemer [trans. Mod.AS, edited]
http://www.deondernemer.nl/artikel/2334556/Acties-tegen-schapenbedrijvenop-til


For the 1st time, Q-fever has been detected on a dairy sheep farm.
The infected farm, in Kraggenburg (Flevoland), includes about 150
pregnant sheep, which are to be killed today [Mon 25 Jan 2010].

Previous infections were detected in 63 dairy goat holdings, where a
total of 37 000 pregnant animals have been culled. The situation on
sheep farms (both dairy and mutton flocks) is to be discussed on
Wednesday [27 Jan 2010] in an emergency debate in the House with
Ministers Verburg (Agriculture) and Klink (Public Health).

Earlier this week, it was suggested by MD Ronald Schegget of the
Public Health Service in Southeast Brabant that there is a linkage
between 46 human cases of Q fever in Nuenen and the 12 000 visitors
to the lamb-viewing days at a (mutton-type) sheep farm in Nuenen.

Ahead of the parliamentary debate, the ministers will clarify their
policy concerning measures against Q fever on sheep farms in a letter
addressed to the House. So far, bulk-milk tests were the mode upon
which actions on [dairy] sheep farms were determined. Mutton-sheep
have not been addressed so far [in relation to the current Q fever epidemic].

In the due emergency debate, the VVD party (Dutch liberal party) will
argue for a parliamentary investigation into the control of Q-fever.
According to the VVD, the inquiry set up [see 20100112.0144] has no
access to the cabinet's files. Various research reports and other
documents have shown that the Q fever bacteria were found already in
2005 on goat farms in the south of the country, but their locations
have remained secret.

In 2007, the disease was found for the 1st time in humans. Only at
the end of 2009, the government decided to adopt drastic control
measures. According to the Ministry of Public Health and The National
Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), 6 out of the
almost 3600 Q fever patients have died.

The physician-microbiologist Peter Wever (Jeroen Bosch Hospital) has,
following his survey covering 12 hospitals, counted at least 11
fatalities. "Our reported 6 fatalities might be an underestimate. We
depend upon notifications from the Public Health Service, which
report all disease cases but not all fatalities," acknowledges the
spokesperson of RIVM.

--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>

[The nomination of the investigation committee of the Q fever (Qf)
epidemic by ministers Verborg (Agriculture) and Klink (Public health)
was completed on 20 Jan 2010. In addition to the chairman, Prof. Dr.
Ing. G. van Dijk, nominated 11 Jan 2010, the committee will include
the following 6 members: Prof. Dr. J. Van der Meer,
internist-infectiologist, St. Radboud hospital, Nijmegen (human
health); Prof. Dr. P. Speelman, internist-infectiologist, Academic
Medical Centre - AMC, Amsterdam (human health); Prof. Dr. J.A.
Stegeman, professor of healthcare food animals, Faculty of Veterinary
Medicine, Utrecht University (veterinary health); Dr. P. Vanthemsche,
former Head of The Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain
(FASFC), Belgium (Veterinary health); Prof. Dr. J. de Vries,
Scientific Director, Leiden University College The Hague (Public
Administration) and Prof. Dr. C.M.J. van Woerkum, Professor of
Communications, Wageningen University and Research Centre. The
committee was requested to complete its report before the 2010 summer
recess of the Parliament.

Q fever in sheep and goats has become officially notifiable in the
Netherlands since 2006. According to OIE's WAHID interface, this
disease is still not notifiable in several European countries such as
Belgium, Finland, France, Portugal and the UK, as well as in most of
the world's countries, including Australia, the "cradle" of Qf, and
Canada, where massive outbreaks in goats have been recorded in the
past. Declaring a disease as notifiable is the inevitable,
prerequisite step required to regulate and implement official disease
control or preventive measures. Q fever in cattle is not yet
notifiable in the Netherlands.

An example of another zoonotic disease which causes abortions in
small ruminants and a serious disease in humans (Malta fever) is
brucellosis (caused, in sheep and goats, by the bacterium _Brucella
melitensis_). This disease is notifiable in most countries.

It will be interesting to follow the deliberations and testimonies of
the Dutch investigation committee(s); their conclusions and
recommendations may have an impact upon Dutch policy and regulations
and also elsewhere within and outside Europe. - Mod.AS]

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[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreak - 11 deaths

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreak - 11 deaths

Dutch Q-fever cull for male livestock too

Published on 27 January 2010

All rams and billy goats on Dutch dairy farms contaminated with Q-fever are to be destroyed.

Since male sheep and goats can also carry the bacteria they may infect females during mating. Health Minister Ab Klink and Agriculture Minister Gerda Verburg have therefore decided that the males must also be culled.

Without a short-term method of distinguishing between sick and healthy animals, this means they will all have to be slaughtered.

There are 64 sheep and goat dairy farms in the Netherlands where Q-fever has been confirmed, but most of the farmers affected keep only a few males.

http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/dutch-q-fever-cull-male-livestock-too

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreak - 11 deaths

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreak - 11 deaths

ProMED update

04-FEB-2010

Q FEVER - NETHERLANDS (10): INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/otn/f..._BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,81200

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreak - 11 deaths

Re: Netherlands - Q fever outbreak - 11 deaths

Goat cull halted after Q fever test problems

Friday 05 February 2010

The slaughter of hundreds of goats on an intensive goat farm in Limburg was halted following a court order on Friday because test results for Q fever were inconclusive.

It is the first time a court has stopped the cull procedure, which covers all pregnant goats on farms where Q fever has been found.

The farm owner applied for an injunction to head off the cull after tests for the disease came up with conflicting results. He wants vets to take new samples and have them tested in different laboratories to find out if his herd really is carrying Q fever.

The judge will explain his ruling on Monday, news agency ANP reported.

Nationwide

In total, some 40,000 animals are to be killed nationwide in an effort to get the spread of the disease under control. Vets begin killing infected and pregnant goats towards the end of December.

The bacteria which leads to Q fever is released when infected sheep and goats have miscarriages and spreads easily.

By the end of November, some 2,300 people had developed Q fever and six had died, all of whom had other health problems. (6 deaths were reported to the RIVM (=Dutch CDC), probably at least 11 died; regulations say: patients should be reported, regulations say nothing about reporting the deaths; ed)

Q fever was relatively unknown in humans prior to 2007 when factory farming of goats took off. The disease leads to flu-like symptoms in adults but can cause lung and heart problems.

http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2010/02/goat_cull_halted_after_q_fever.php