Coxiella burnetii is the causative agent for which disease?

• A. Orf
• B. Q-fever
• C. Foot rot
• D. Caseous lymphadenitis

Answer: (B)

Coxiella burnetii is the bacterium that causes Q fever. It’s a small, gram-negative organism that lives inside host cells and can survive well in the environment, often spreading through aerosols from birth fluids, placentas, or contaminated dust. In animals like sheep, goats, and cattle, infection can lead to abortion or stillbirth, while in humans it typically presents as a flu-like febrile illness and can become chronic, affecting the heart in rare cases. The other conditions listed are caused by different pathogens: Orf is due to a parapoxvirus, Foot rot is caused mainly by the bacterium Dichelobacter nodosus, and Caseous lymphadenitis is caused by Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. Therefore, the disease linked to Coxiella burnetii is Q fever.