Q fever vaccine urged for at-risk group

Doctors have urged caretaker health minister Ab Klink to order a batch of anti Q fever vaccines for people at risk of developing complications from the goat and sheep disease.

In particular, people with heart and vascular problems are vulnerable to Q fever, doctors at a special clinic in Den Bosch have told the minister in a letter.
So far 10 people have died of Q fever in the Netherlands.
The vaccine has been used in Australia since 1989 and has halved infection rates over the past 10 years, the doctors say.
Surge in reports
Government vets are currently in the middle of culling all pregnant goats on farms where Q fever has been found. The bacteria which leads to Q fever is released when infected sheep and goats have miscarriages and spreads easily.
In total, over 40,000 animals on some 75 farms are being killed in an effort to get the spread of the disease under control.
Q fever was relatively unknown in the Netherlands prior to 2007, when around 15 cases a year were reported. Last year, there were over 2,300 official cases.