Risk Factors

Certain factors can increase your risk of getting acute Q fever, including:

• Occupation. Certain occupations place you at higher risk because you're exposed to animals and animal products as part of your job. At-risk occupations include veterinary medicine, meat processing, livestock farming and animal research.
• Location. Simply being near a farm or farming facility may put you at higher risk of Q fever, because the bacteria can travel long distances accompanying dust particles in the air.
• Your sex. Men are more likely to develop symptomatic acute Q fever.
• History of acute Q fever. Anyone who has had Q fever is at risk of developing the chronic form of the disease. This risk is greater if you also have heart valve disease, blood vessel abnormalities, chronic kidney disease or a weakened immune system.