A case of failure in the treatment of acute Q fever with doxycycline

Abstract:

Q fever is a highly pathogenic zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burneti worldwide. Clinical manifestations of Q fever are atypical, and routine laboratory and imaging examinations lack specificity. Most patients have mild symptoms that can self-resolve. Q fever is not a notifiable infectious disease in China. There is a lack of relevant diagnosis and treatment guidelines, making it a long-neglected and underdiagnosed disease. This article reports a case of acute Q fever diagnosed by metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of blood specimen, who did not respond to 14 days treatment with doxycycline, condition improved after being treated with minocycline for 3 days. The article aims to improve the awareness of acute Q fever among clinicians and shorten the time of diagnosis and treatment.

Key words:acute Q fever;doxycycline;Coxiella burneti;metagenomic next-generation sequencing;treatment failure