Q Fever in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Q fever is an infection caused by the bacteria Coxiella burnetii. In the Grand Rapids and West Michigan area, it is primarily an occupational and environmental disease that affects people who work with livestock or animal products, especially in rural parts of Kent County and surrounding agricultural communities.

While Q fever is uncommon, understanding how it spreads and how to prevent it is important for farmers, veterinarians, meat-processing workers, and anyone who regularly works with animals in West Michigan.

How Q Fever Spreads

Animal and Environmental Sources

Q fever is mainly spread to humans from:

  • Cattle
  • Sheep
  • Goats

However, it can also be carried by other domestic and wild animals, including:

  • Cats and dogs
  • Rodents
  • Birds
  • Other wildlife

The bacteria are shed in:

  • Birth products (placenta, amniotic fluid)
  • Urine
  • Feces
  • Milk

The bacteria can survive for long periods in the environment and tolerate harsh Michigan conditions, including:

  • Dry, dusty barns and feedlots
  • Cold West Michigan winters
  • Contaminated hay, straw, and bedding

Dust, hay, and other small particles can carry the bacteria. When these particles become airborne—especially in windy conditions or during activities like:

  • Mowing or brush-cutting around livestock areas
  • Cleaning barns or animal pens
  • Handling contaminated bedding or manure

people can breathe in the bacteria and become infected.

Ways Q Fever Can Spread to Humans

Q fever can spread from animals to humans by:

  • Breathing in contaminated dust or air during:

    • Animal birthing
    • Slaughtering, skinning, or meat processing
    • Cleaning barns, pens, or milking areas
    • Handling wool, hides, or manure

  • Drinking unpasteurized (raw) milk from infected cows, sheep, or goats

  • Direct contact with infected animal tissue or fluids on broken skin, for example:

    • Cuts from contaminated knives
    • Needle-stick injuries when working with animals
    • Contact with birth products, blood, urine, or feces

Q fever is rarely spread from person to person.

Q Fever in the Grand Rapids Area

In and around Grand Rapids, people at higher risk of Q fever often live or work in:

  • Rural Kent County and neighboring counties
  • Dairy, beef, sheep, or goat farms
  • Livestock transport and processing facilities
  • Small family farms and hobby farms common in West Michigan

Because West Michigan has a strong agricultural sector and a mix of urban and rural communities, people may live in Grand Rapids but work daily with livestock in surrounding areas.

Local public health oversight is provided by:

  • Kent County Health Department
  • Grand Rapids Public Health programs

These agencies monitor zoonotic (animal-to-human) infections such as Q fever and can provide guidance and support.

Symptoms of Q Fever

Many People Have No Symptoms

Many people infected with Q fever have no symptoms at all and may never know they were infected.

Flu-Like Illness

When symptoms do occur, they usually appear 2 to 3 weeks after exposure, but can start as early as 4 days or as late as 6 weeks. Symptoms often resemble the flu and may include:

  • Fever
  • Sweats or chills
  • Headaches
  • Muscle aches or pains
  • Fatigue
  • Dry cough
  • Loss of appetite
  • Weight loss

Possible Complications

Some people with Q fever may also develop:

  • Hepatitis (inflammation of the liver)
  • Pneumonia (infection of the lungs)

While most people make a full recovery, Q fever can occasionally cause serious long-term complications, such as:

  • Heart disease (e.g., infection of heart valves – endocarditis)
  • Bone and joint infections
  • Vascular infections (infection of blood vessels or aneurysms)

These complications are more common in:

  • Pregnant women
  • People with weakened immune systems
  • People with previous heart problems (especially damaged or artificial heart valves)

Approximately 10–15% of people with severe Q fever infection may develop chronic fatigue, also known as Q fever fatigue syndrome, which can last for many years.

Who Is at Risk in Grand Rapids and West Michigan?

High-Risk Occupations

People who work with animals, animal products, and animal waste are most at risk of Q fever. In the Grand Rapids region, this includes:

  • Abattoir and meat workers, such as:

    • Slaughtering and skinning workers
    • Meat processing and rendering workers
    • By-products workers
    • Meat inspectors and packers
    • Maintenance and cleaning staff in processing plants
    • Administrative staff who regularly enter processing areas

  • Agriculture, livestock, and dairy farm workers, including:

    • Cattle, sheep, and goat farmers
    • Dairy workers (milking, cleaning pens, handling calves or kids)
    • Stockyard and feedlot workers
    • Transporters of animals, animal products, and animal waste

  • Shearers and wool workers, including:

    • Shearers
    • Wool classers/sorters
    • Pelt and hide processors

  • Veterinary and animal health workers, including:

    • Veterinarians
    • Veterinary nurses, technicians, and students
    • Animal science or agriculture college staff and students who work with high-risk animals
    • Laboratory personnel working with animal tissues or fluids

  • Other occupations with regular animal exposure, such as:

    • Knackery workers
    • Tannery workers
    • Laundry workers handling clothing from at-risk workplaces
    • Pet food manufacturing workers
    • Animal shooters/hunters who handle carcasses

Other At-Risk Groups

Other groups at increased risk of Q fever include:

  • Family members of workers in high-risk occupations, through:

    • Exposure to contaminated clothes, boots, or equipment brought home

  • People living on or near high-risk industries, such as:

    • Neighboring livestock farms
    • Stockyards housing cattle, sheep, or goats
    • Meatworks or processing plants

  • People living downwind of high-risk facilities, especially:

    • Within about 1 kilometer downwind of an abattoir or large livestock operation

  • Visitors to at-risk environments, including:

    • Farms and feedlots
    • Abattoirs and meat-processing plants
    • Animal saleyards and livestock auctions
    • Agricultural shows and fairs (common in West Michigan)

If you live in the Grand Rapids metro area but frequently visit rural properties, farms, or fairs in Kent, Ottawa, Ionia, Allegan, or Montcalm counties, you may have some level of exposure risk.

Q Fever and Michigan’s Climate

West Michigan’s climate can influence Q fever risk:

  • Cold winters: The bacteria can survive in cold, dry conditions, especially in barns, sheds, and stored hay.
  • Windy days: Wind can carry contaminated dust from barns, feedlots, or fields to nearby homes or roads.
  • Spring calving and lambing seasons: Risk is higher when animals are giving birth and shedding large numbers of bacteria in birth products.

People working outdoors in these conditions should be especially careful with dust control and personal protection.

Prevention of Q Fever

Vaccination (Q Fever Vaccine)

There is a safe and effective vaccine (commonly known as Q fever vaccine, such as Q-Vax® in some countries) that provides a high level of protection for people at risk.

In the Grand Rapids area:

  • Discuss Q fever vaccination with your primary care provider, occupational health clinic, or infectious disease specialist at:

    • Spectrum Health / Corewell Health in Grand Rapids
    • Trinity Health Grand Rapids
    • Metro Health – University of Michigan Health
    • Mercy Health and affiliated clinics

  • Employers in high-risk industries (farms, abattoirs, animal transport, veterinary clinics) should:

    • Arrange vaccination for workers in high-risk roles
    • Provide education on Q fever risks and prevention

Important Points About the Vaccine

  • The vaccine takes about 15 days to become fully effective.
  • During this period, people should:
    • Avoid high-risk areas where possible, or
    • Use extra protective measures (masks, gloves, strict hygiene).
  • The vaccine is not routinely recommended for:
    • Children under 15 years of age
    • Pregnant women
    • People with a known egg allergy

Screening Before Vaccination

People must be screened and tested for Q fever antibodies before being vaccinated. This is essential because:

  • Those with evidence of previous infection or past vaccination do not need another dose.
  • Vaccinating someone who has already had Q fever or has been vaccinated can cause a severe reaction.

Screening typically includes:

  • A blood test to check for Q fever antibodies
  • A skin test
    • Skin test results are usually read 7 days later

If both tests are negative, and you:

  • Are not allergic to eggs, and
  • Have not already been vaccinated

then you can safely receive the Q fever vaccine.

Keep a copy of your vaccination record, as:

  • Workers in high-risk industries may need to provide proof of vaccination when changing jobs.
  • Your immunization provider can update your record in your electronic medical chart and state/national immunization systems where applicable.

Good Hygiene and Protective Measures

Vaccination is the most effective protection for high-risk workers, but good hygiene and safe work practices are also essential. These measures help reduce the risk of Q fever in Grand Rapids and surrounding rural areas:

  • Hand and arm hygiene

    • Wash hands and forearms thoroughly with soap and water after any contact with animals or animal products.

  • Personal protective equipment

    • Wear a properly fitted P2 or N95 mask (available from pharmacies and hardware stores) when:
      • Handling animals during birthing
      • Cleaning barns, pens, or sheds
      • Mowing or gardening in areas where there are or have been livestock or wild animals
    • Wear gloves when:
      • Handling animal birth products
      • Cleaning up urine, feces, blood, or other body fluids
      • Handling animal carcasses or raw hides

  • Cleaning and disinfection

    • Wash animal products and waste (urine, feces, blood, birth products) from equipment and surfaces where possible.
    • Use appropriate disinfectants and follow manufacturer instructions.

  • Clothing and boots

    • Remove and wash dirty clothing, coveralls, and boots worn during high-risk activities in outdoor or designated wash areas on the property.
    • Avoid taking contaminated clothing and boots into your home to protect your family.
    • If items must be taken home:
      • Place them in a sealed bag
      • Wash them separately from household laundry
      • Ideally, have them handled only by people who are vaccinated or who have previously had Q fever

These measures should not be considered a substitute for vaccination for people in high-risk occupations, but they do lower overall risk.

Diagnosis of Q Fever

Q fever is diagnosed based on:

  • Symptoms (such as fever, headache, fatigue, cough)
  • History of exposure in the previous 6 weeks, such as:
    • Working with cattle, sheep, or goats
    • Visiting farms, abattoirs, or stockyards in West Michigan
    • Handling animal birth products or carcasses
    • Living or working near livestock facilities

Laboratory tests (blood tests) are used to confirm the diagnosis.

If you see a doctor in Grand Rapids—whether at a primary care clinic, urgent care, or hospital—make sure to tell them if you:

  • Work in a high-risk occupation
  • Live on or near a farm or meat-processing facility
  • Recently visited farms, fairs, livestock sales, or animal birthing areas

This information helps your doctor consider Q fever as a possible cause of your illness.

Treatment of Q Fever

Q fever is treated with antibiotics. Early treatment can help:

  • Shorten the duration of illness
  • Reduce the risk of long-term complications such as heart, bone, or vascular infections

For chronic Q fever infection or serious complications, long-term antibiotics and follow-up with an infectious disease specialist may be needed.

In Grand Rapids, treatment and follow-up care are available through:

  • Primary care providers and family medicine clinics
  • Infectious disease specialists at:
    • Spectrum Health / Corewell Health
    • Trinity Health Grand Rapids
    • Metro Health – University of Michigan Health
    • Mercy Health and affiliated practices

When to Seek Medical Help in Grand Rapids

Seek medical care promptly if you develop:

  • Fever, sweats, or chills
  • Severe headaches
  • Muscle aches
  • Extreme fatigue
  • Cough or breathing difficulties
  • Unexplained weight loss

and you have:

  • Worked with livestock or animal products in the last 6 weeks, or
  • Visited farms, abattoirs, animal saleyards, or agricultural shows in West Michigan, or
  • Live near a high-risk livestock facility

Where to Get Help

In the Grand Rapids area, you can:

  • Contact your GP (primary care doctor) or family medicine clinic
  • Call your local public health department, such as the Kent County Health Department
  • Visit the emergency department of your nearest hospital if you are very unwell:
    • Spectrum Health / Corewell Health emergency departments
    • Trinity Health Grand Rapids
    • Metro Health – University of Michigan Health

In a medical emergency (such as severe breathing difficulty, chest pain, confusion, or collapse), always call 911.

Key Points About Q Fever in Grand Rapids

  • Many people with Q fever have no symptoms.
  • When symptoms occur, they often look like the flu and can include fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, cough, and weight loss.
  • Serious complications are more likely in pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems, and those with previous heart problems.
  • People who work with animals, animal products, and animal waste—especially cattle, sheep, and goats—are most at risk.
  • Family members and people living near high-risk facilities can also be exposed, especially through contaminated dust and clothing.
  • Vaccination, combined with good hygiene and protective equipment, is the best way to prevent Q fever in high-risk workers in the Grand Rapids and West Michigan region.