Study for the ACVPM Infectious Diseases Exam with engaging quizzes, flashcards, and detailed explanations. Prepare thoroughly and enhance your knowledge to excel in the test!

Multiple Choice

What organism causes Q fever?

Q fever is caused by Coxiella burnetii, a small Gram-negative bacterium that is an obligate intracellular organism. It commonly infects livestock such as cattle, sheep, and goats, and humans typically acquire it by inhaling aerosols from contaminated birth products or affected environments. The other organisms listed cause different diseases in different hosts (for example, Salmonella pullorum is a poultry pathogen, while Escherichia coli and Campylobacter jejuni cause gastrointestinal infections in humans and animals), so they are not the causative agent of Q fever.

Q fever is caused by Coxiella burnetii, a small Gram-negative bacterium that is an obligate intracellular organism. It commonly infects livestock such as cattle, sheep, and goats, and humans typically acquire it by inhaling aerosols from contaminated birth products or affected environments. The other organisms listed cause different diseases in different hosts (for example, Salmonella pullorum is a poultry pathogen, while Escherichia coli and Campylobacter jejuni cause gastrointestinal infections in humans and animals), so they are not the causative agent of Q fever.