Table 2 Baseline characteristics of study population
| Â | Possible chronic Q fever n = 53 | Non chronic Q fever n = 110 | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|
Gender (male) | 30 (56.6%) | 53 (48.2%) | 0.314 |
Mean age ± SD | 56.3 (± 10.7) | 53.3 (± 12.1) | 0.128 |
Living area (rural) | 36 (67.9%) | 65 (59.1%) | 0.227 |
Participant of Q-HORT study | 21 (39.6%) | 110 (100%) | - |
Year of acute Q fever diagnosis | Â | Â | 0.454 |
2007 | 4 (7.5%) | 24 (21.8%) | |
2008 | 16 (30.2%) | 41 (37.3%) | |
2009 | 22 (41.5%) | 45 (40.9%) | |
2010/2012 | 2 (3.8%) | 0 (0.0%) | |
Unknown | 9 (17.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | |
Hospitalization due to Q fever | 10 (18.9%) | 18 (16.4%) | 0.691 |
Smoker | 11 (21.2%) | 38 (34.9%) | 0.077 |
Co-morbidity | Â | Â | Â |
Cardiovascular disease | 0 (0%) | 7 (6.4%) | 0.060 |
Immunosuppressed | 3 (5.7%) | 5 (4.5%) | 0.758 |
Non-hematologic cancer | 4 (7.5%) | 3 (2.7%) | 0.155 |
Pregnancy | 1 (1.9%) | 4 (3.6%) | 0.544 |
Renal failure | 1 (2.0%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0.141 |
Diabetes | 5 (9.4%) | 6 (5.5%) | 0.343 |
Occupational risk | 2 (3.8%) | 3 (2.7%) | 0.717 |
Contact animal products | Â | Â | Â |
Fertilizer | 8 (15.1%) | 9 (8.2%) | 0.176 |
Hay and straw | 7 (13.2%) | 14 (12.7%) | 0.932 |
Placental material | 4 (7.5%) | 1 (0.9%) | 0.021 |
Fur/skin/wool | 30 (56.6%) | 63 (57.3%) | 0.936 |
Intensity contact fertilizer | Â | Â | 0.602 |
≤3 times per week | 2 (3.8%) | 2 (1.8%) | |
>3 times per week | 5 (9.6%) | 6 (5.5%) | |
Intensity contact hay and straw | Â | Â | 0.640 |
≤3 times per week | 2 (3.8%) | 7 (6.4%) | |
>3 times per week | 5 (9.4%) | 7 (6.4%) | |
Intensity contact placental material | Â | Â | 0.036 |
≤3 times per week | 1 (1.9%) | 1 (0.9%) | |
>3 times per week | 3 (5.7%) | 0 (0.0%) | |
Intensity contact fur/skin/wool | Â | Â | 0.446 |
≤3 times per week | 1 (1.9%) | 7 (6.4%) | |
>3 times per week | 29 (54.7%) | 55 (50.0%) | |
Contact animals | Â | Â | Â |
Goats, cows or sheep | 5 (9.4%) | 6 (5.5%) | 0.343 |
Cats | 13 (24.5%) | 19 (17.3%) | 0.275 |
Dogs | 19 (35.8%) | 46 (41.8%) | 0.466 |
Birds (including chicken and ducks) | 2 (3.8%) | 13 (11.8%) | 0.096 |
Horses | 5 (9.4%) | 9 (8.2%) | 0.789 |
Rodents | 3 (5.7%) | 7 (6.4%) | 0.861 |
Others (rabbit, fish, pig, tortoise) | 2 (3.8%) | 10 (9.1%) | 0.659 |
Intensity contact animals | Â | Â | 0.877 |
≤3 times per week | 2 (3.8%) | 6 (5.5%) | |
>3 times per week | 28 (52.8%) | 59 (53.6%) | |
Distance from house to infected farm | Â | Â | 0.198 |
0 - 2,000 m | 7 (13.2%) | 24 (22.0%) | |
>2,000 - 5,000 m | 21 (39.6%) | 48 (44.0%) | |
>5,000 m | 25 (47.2%) | 37 (33.9%) |