Coxiella burnetii endocarditis – a real threat in the context of Q fever re-emergence

Background Q fever is a disease with worldwide distribution. The real number of patients with this disease is underestimated due to its nonspecific symptoms and because of the difficulties associated with serological diagnosis. Some of the patients diagnosed in the first stage with Q fever later develop chronic disease. Endocarditis is the most frequent and severe form of chronic Q fever. In the National Institute for Infectious Diseases “Prof. Dr. Matei Bals” the number of patients diagnosed with Q fever has significantly increased in the last few years. The number of cases from the first half of 2014 almost exceeded the whole number recorded in 2013. In these circumstances we expect that the number of cases of endocarditis with Coxiella burnetii will rise.