# Protect your Goats in Washington and Montana



## IrritatedWithUS (Jan 9, 2011)

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — A bacterial infection called Q fever has apparently spread from goats to humans and sickened people in Washington and Montana, agriculture officials said.

The illness has stricken five people in the Moses Lake area with flulike symptoms. Officials also have traced infected goats to Cascade and Teton counties in Montana, where six people have become ill, officials said.

Washington Agriculture Department spokesman Jason Kelly told The Spokesman-Review that goats at a Moses Lake farm that had trouble birthing in April were found to be infected with the Q fever bacteria. Goats from that farm have been traced to nine other counties in Washington: Spokane, Adams, Pend Oreille, Walla Walla, Franklin, Clark, Thurston, Kittitas and Chelan.

"We have established a direct link to the herd in Montana," Kelly said.

State Health Department spokesman Donn Moyer said human cases of Q fever are rare, with no more than three confirmed cases per year. People associated with the goat farms became ill starting in May, he said.


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Well Donn Moyer, there are now 11 confirmed human cases of Q-Fever
in humans this year. So far 9 counties in Washington and counties in
Montana have confirmed cases. 

The remedy for Q Fever is antibiotics and should be under the direction of a infectious disease specialist. Scary! More severe cases can take up to 4 years to treat. 

There is a vaccine for animals called Q-Vax.


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