Posted on 06/30/2005 10:41:23 AM PDT by LurkedLongEnough
AMARILLO, Texas State health officials are looking into how a Panhandle man contracted a rare bacterial disease typically tied to the livestock industry.
The Texas Department of State Health Services says the Moore County man doesn't work around livestock or in a laboratory or slaughterhouse.
Department veterinarian James Alexander also says the man isn't a veterinarian. He says it's possible the man might have caught the disease from contaminated soil.
Alexander says the disease can spread from animals to humans. The patient says he has a friend with livestock but that he had no contact with the animals.
Common symptoms resemble a serious case of the flu -- sudden high fever, chills, sweats, a general feeling of sickness and loss of appetite.
Blood tests are used to test for Q fever, and it responds to antibiotics. Patients usually recover promptly when treatment is started without delay.
The disease is caused by a bacteria known as Coxiella burnetii that is primarily carried by cattle, sheep and goats.
This could be of interest to the same group that is interested in anthrax biodefense. Note that only ONE spore can cause disease.
CDC: "Coxiella burnetii is a highly infectious agent that is rather resistant to heat and drying. It can become airborne and inhaled by humans. A single C. burnetii organism may cause disease in a susceptible person. This agent could be developed for use in biological warfare and is considered a potential terrorist threat."
What's he been doing with his friend?
"Sometimes I get powerful lonely."
Ok, just WHAT did Eaker triple-dog-dare ya' to do?
Lookin' for love in all the wrong places...
There are no stumps in the panhandle of texas......wazzunt meeee !
You could be carrying one of those milk crates in the back of the 4x4 just in case. :)
Beer crate thank yew.....
I told him that the "5 second" rule was really the "5 minute" rule up there in Swishy Rump, TX!!!
Moore County!!! Eek, I've got family that lives there and ranches/farms about 15 miles out of Dumas. Hmmm, wonder if it's a friend of my cousin. Of course there are alot of farms/ranches in Moore County.
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