Q fever expertise among human and veterinary health professionals in Germany – A stakeholder analysis of knowledge gaps

Abstract

Q fever is a zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii. In Germany, the common sources of human infections include small ruminants that excrete the pathogen. Q fever in humans can be asymptomatic or nonspecific. However, severe disease progression is also possible, which can lead to death. Q fever in small ruminants is usually asymptomatic, although reproductive disorders may occur. To protect humans from Q fever, it is important that human and veterinary health professionals (practitioners/health authority employees) have comprehensive knowledge of the diagnosis, control and prevention of Q fever, and its zoonotic potential. To ensure and enhance this understanding, this stakeholder analysis assessed Q fever expertise in human and veterinary health professionals in Germany and investigated how these knowledge gaps can best be resolved. For this purpose, an online survey and two focus group discussions were conducted with 836 and 18 participants, respectively. Knowledge gaps are due to a lack of awareness of Q fever, especially among human health practitioners. Moreover, colleagues who have heard about Q fever still lack the necessary cross-species knowledge to successfully diagnose, control and prevent this zoonosis. Additionally, differences exist between stakeholders regarding their work context and the region in which they work. In this study, stakeholders in southwestern Germany had slightly better Q fever knowledge than their colleagues in northeastern Germany. In addition, information sources aimed at resolving knowledge gaps involve direct conversations between the stakeholders, as well as reading materials and seminars. Each of these information sources should focus on interdisciplinary resources to strengthen the cooperation between human and veterinary health professionals and to raise awareness of the strengths of each stakeholder group. These results have already been implemented by the Q-GAPS project, with goals of raising awareness of Q fever and filling knowledge gaps.

Q-Fever and One Health: Integrating Human, Animal, and Environmental Health

“…An essential aspect of this collaboration is establishing animal surveillance systems and promoting data sharing and intelligence exchange between public Health and veterinary agencies (Dorko et al, 2012). To fortify individuals from the infection, it becomes essential for both human and veterinary health experts to possess comprehensive knowledge about Q fever's diagnosis, control, prevention and its potential as a zoonotic disease (Winter and Campe 2022). The yearly rate of reported cases in the US varies from 0.28 to 2.40 per million people.…”

First Insight into the Incidence of Coxiella burnetii Infection among Veterinary Medicine Students from Bulgaria

“…Q fever is endemic zoonosis with global distribution, caused by intracellular bacterium Coxiella burnetii and with great human and animal health significance [1][2][3]. The last few years, the highest numbers of confirmed cases of Q fever in Europe were reported in Spain, France, Germany, Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria [4][5][6][7][8][9]. The primary source of infection to humans are domestic ruminants, such as goats, cattle, sheep, as well as pets, in which the infection is usually asymptomatic, but it could be also associated with infertility, abortions and premature birth [10][11][12][13].…”

Seasonal impact on Q fever in sheep, Bosnia and Herzegovina

“…This bacterium infects several host species including humans, ruminants (cattle, sheep, and goats), pets, and in some cases reptiles, birds, and arthropods (Honarmand 2012). It is a professional disease of veterinarians, livestock farmers, butchers, and laboratory staff, making it one of the most common laboratory infections (Winter and Campe 2022). Domestic ruminants are cited as the main reservoirs of this bacterium.…”