A pproximately 2% of patients with symptomatic or asymptomatic Coxiella burnetii infections show development of chronic Q fever (1). Chronic Q fever can manifest itself even years after the initial infection, mainly as endocarditis or vascular infection. The main risk factors for development of chronic Q fever are heart valve disorders, aortic aneurysms, vascular prosthesis, or an immunocompromised state. Chronic Q fever can cause potentially life-threatening complications and has a high mortality rate (2). Therefore, timely detection and treatment for patients who have chronic infections are essential.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.