May 20, 2011: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today cleared the first nucleic acid amplification test to diagnose the early stages of Q fever infections in military personnel serving overseas. The Chemical Biological Medical System Joint Project Management Office within the U.S. Department of Defense funded the development of this test, which identifies and detects the bacteria that cause Q fever (Coxiella burnetii) within four hours. The test was developed by Idaho Technology Inc.
Q fever is an emerging infectious disease among U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq and worldwide. Q fever can cause acute or chronic illness in humans, who usually acquire infections after contact with infected animals or exposure to contaminated environments. If diagnosed early, most people with Q fever fully recover after treatment with appropriate antibiotics. Failure to treat an infection can, however, result in serious chronic illness...
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Q fever was first recognized as a human disease in Australia in 1935 and in the United States in the early 1940s. The ?Q? stands for ?query??at that time, the causative agent was unknown...
Q fever is an emerging infectious disease among U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq and worldwide. Q fever can cause acute or chronic illness in humans, who usually acquire infections after contact with infected animals or exposure to contaminated environments. If diagnosed early, most people with Q fever fully recover after treatment with appropriate antibiotics. Failure to treat an infection can, however, result in serious chronic illness...
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Q fever was first recognized as a human disease in Australia in 1935 and in the United States in the early 1940s. The ?Q? stands for ?query??at that time, the causative agent was unknown...