TY - JOUR AU - Kampschreur, Linda AU - Wegdam-Blans, Marjolijn C.A. AU - Wever, Peter AU - Renders, Nicole H.M. AU - Delsing, Corine AU - Sprong, Tom AU - van Kasteren, Marjo E.E. AU - Bijlmer, Henk AU - Notermans, Daan AU - Oosterheert, Jan Jelrik AU - Stals, Frans AU - Nabuurs-Franssen, Marrigje AU - Bleeker-Rovers, Chantal T1 - Chronic Q Fever Diagnosis—Consensus Guideline versus Expert Opinion T2 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal PY - 2015 VL - 21 IS - 7 SP - 1183 SN - 1080-6059 AB - Chronic Q fever, caused by Coxiella burnetii, has high mortality and morbidity rates if left untreated. Controversy about the diagnosis of this complex disease has emerged recently. We applied the guideline from the Dutch Q Fever Consensus Group and a set of diagnostic criteria proposed by Didier Raoult to all 284 chronic Q fever patients included in the Dutch National Chronic Q Fever Database during 2006–2012. Of the patients who had proven cases of chronic Q fever by the Dutch guideline, 46 (30.5%) would not have received a diagnosis by the alternative criteria designed by Raoult, and 14 (4.9%) would have been considered to have possible chronic Q fever. Six patients with proven chronic Q fever died of related causes. Until results from future studies are available, by which current guidelines can be modified, we believe that the Dutch literature-based consensus guideline is more sensitive and easier to use in clinical practice. KW - chronic Q fever KW - endocarditis KW - vascular infection KW - diagnosis KW - C. burnetii DO - 10.3201/eid2107.130955 UR - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/21/7/13-0955_article ER - End of Reference