Suburban Transmission of Q Fever in French Guiana: Evidence of a Wild Reservoir

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Abstract
The annual incidence of Q fever in French Guiana was found to have increased in 1996 and was 37/100,000 population over the last 4 years. Subsequent investigations in Cayenne and its suburbs indicated that a wild reservoir of the bacteria was responsible for the epidemiologic pattern. A case‐control study showed that residence near a forest and occupations and activities that result in exposure to aerosols of dusts from the soil are risk factors for Q fever. By means of time‐series analysis, a strong positive correlation between rainfall and the incidence of Q fever with a time lag of 1–3 months was found. The spatial distribution of the cases showed that transmission occurs widely throughout greater Cayenne, which is incompatible with a pinpoint source of contamination. Transmission from livestock and dissemination of the bacteria by the wind appeared to be unlikely, which strengthens the hypothesis that a wild reservoir is responsible for transmission.

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