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Human infection is usually be inhalation or ingestion of aerosol particles or by tickThis article is about the parasitic arachnid. For the fictional superhero, see The Tick. For the v-shaped mark denoting that something has been noted, completed, is correct, etc. see check''. A clock tick is, especially in computing, the smallest unit of bite. Humans are highly susceptible to the disease, but over half of infections are asymptomaticIn medicine, a disease is asymptomatic when it is at a stage where the patient does not experience symptoms. By their nature, asymptomatic diseases are not usually discovered until the patient undergoes medical tests ( X-rays or other investigations). and it is rarely transmitted by person to person contact. When the organism does cause clinical symptoms, after a incubationThe word incubation can mean the following: In chemistry or biochemistry, incubation refers to maintaining a system under specific conditions in order to promote a particular reaction. The word incubate can also be applied to brooding birds eggs Incubatio period of 10 to 40 days it is marked by high feverFever also known as pyrexia is a medical symptom which describes an increase in temperature to levels which are above normal (37 degrees Celsius 98. 6 degrees Fahrenheit). An adaptive mechanism, fever is the body's reaction to pathogens; it attempts to ki, severe headacheA headache is a condition of mild to severe pain in the head; sometimes upper back or neck pain may also be interpreted as a headache. Headaches have a wide variety of causes, ranging from eyestrain to inflammation of the sinus cavities to life-threatenin, myalgiaMyalgia means " muscle pain" and is a symptom of many diseases and disorders. Most viral infections will result in myalgia of varying severity which normally resolves on resolution of the infection., confusion, nauseaNausea is the sensation of unease and discomfort from the stomach, with the sufferers feeling that they may vomit. Nausea is a symptom of many conditions, including motion sickness, morning sickness during pregnancy, viral infections, and other diseases., vomiting, diarrhea, generalized chest pains, and weight loss. The fever usually lasts 7 to 14 days. Up to 50% of acute patients will develop pneumonia. The liver is often also damaged and some patients will later develop hepatitis. However, most patients will return to good health within 60 days, even without treatment. Only 1%-2% of people with acute Q fever die.

As well as the acute form the disease also has a much less common chronic form, with the infection persisting for more than 6 months. Patients who have suffered acute Q fever may develop the chronic form within 1 to 20 years after initial infection. The most serious effect of chronic infection is endocarditis. Most patients who develop chronic Q fever have pre-existing valvular problems or a history of vascular graft. As many as 65% of persons with chronic Q fever will die of the disease.

Acute Q fever is treated with antibiotics, usually the tetracycline antibiotic doxycycline, or quinolone antibiotic s. The chronic form is more difficult to treat and can require up to four years of treatment with doxycycline and quinolones or doxycycline with hydroxy chloroquine . A vaccine has been developed.

The disease was first described in 1935 in Australia as of unknown etiology, it was named Q (query) fever.