Two more people were infected with Q fever, bringing the total number of registered cases to ten, the Institute for Public Health (IJZ) announced.
From that health facility, they said that during the day they received two reports of fever from the epidemiological service of the Nikšić Health Center.
"Newly registered cases are persons who are professionally exposed to the causative agent of this disease and who have already been epidemiologically monitored due to the current situation. Thus, the total number of registered cases during this year is ten", said the IJZ.
They stated that, according to the legislation in the field of healthcare in Montenegro, fever belongs to the group of diseases that doctors must report.
It is added that the disease can occur sporadically, in endemic or epidemic form.
"In Montenegro, this infection is usually present, it occurs sporadically in the last ten years, from 2014 to this year, the total number of registered cases is 33", the announcement says.
The IJZ said that, following the annual morbidity in the observed period, the number of patients ranged from zero (2020, 2021 and 2023) to six cases, registered in 2016 and 2018.
They said that whooping cough is a worldwide infection of zoonotic origin caused by an intracellular gram-negative bacterium called Coxiella burnetii.
It is clarified that it is registered in numerous European countries, and it is more widely available in France, Germany, Spain, and Hungary.
"The infection in humans is often asymptomatic, but it can have a mild to severe and rarely fatal course," the IJZ press release states.
They said that symptomatic QF in humans usually presents as a flu-like illness and can include symptoms such as sudden headache, fever, muscle aches, fatigue, night sweats, weight loss, joint pain and nausea/vomiting.
It is added that in some cases of the disease, pneumonia may also develop, and symptoms such as fatigue may last longer.
"Kyu fever is a common disease for our climate, it usually goes away without consequences, especially if the person contacts a doctor immediately upon the onset of symptoms, is diagnosed in time and antibiotic therapy is started (the recommended antibiotic is doxycycline for two weeks)", they said from IJZ.
In a small number of cases, if it is not diagnosed in time and medical help is not requested in a timely manner, the disease, as stated, can take a chronic course with complications (chronic inflammation of the liver, heart valves, etc.).
"The Center for Medical Microbiology of the IJZ has diagnostic tests (analysis of specific blood antibodies for Coxiella burnetii) and antibiotic therapy (doxycycline) is available," the announcement says.
It is clarified that the epidemiological investigation of exposed persons is carried out after the disease is reported by a doctor or after veterinarians report to epidemiologists that they discovered diseased animals on a certain farm.
"Given that chive fever has been discovered on several farms, and that surveillance and testing have now been intensified, it is to be expected that another case will be registered in the coming period, especially among professionally exposed persons (farmers, veterinarians and others)". they said from IJZ.
They said that it is very important for people who have animal farms (cattle, sheep, goats) to follow the advice of the veterinary and health sector in order to reduce the probability of infection.
"We emphasize that the most common route of transmission is aerogenous - through contaminated air particles containing Coxiella burnetii, as well as direct contact with contaminated milk, meat, wool and aerosols originating from animal excrement (urine, feces or fluids during childbirth)," says the announcement.
IJZ said that reservoirs of Coxiella burnetii, in addition to domestic animals, can also be game, birds, and ticks.
As it is added, it is not a rare situation that the source and place of potential exposure remain undetected.
"Direct transmission from an infected person to a healthy person is a very rare phenomenon (under normal circumstances it practically does not exist)", said the IJZ.
"As for the risk of transmission through milk, it is practically non-existent if pasteurized or boiled milk is used. For the preparation of dairy products, pasteurized milk should be used," the announcement states.
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