FRIDAY, May 20 (HealthDay News) — The first test to detect Q fever in soldiers and other members of the military serving overseas has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Q fever, caused by an infection from the bacterium Coxiella burnetii, is affecting soldiers serving in Iraq and elsewhere, the FDA said in a news release. Victims usually recover completely if the infection is detected and treated early with antibiotics. But left untreated, it can cause chronic illness.
Citing the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the FDA said Q fever was first recognized in Australia in 1935, and in the United States in the early 1940s.
The new diagnostic was developed by Idaho Technology Inc., based in Salt Lake City.
More information
The U.S. National Institutes of Health has more about Q fever.