Q fever outbreak--Germany, 1996.

In May 1996, the Health Department of Marburg-Biedenkopf in Marburg, Hessen, Germany, was notified of a cluster of persons with high and persistent fever who resided in a rural town (Rollshausen [1996 population:300]) and in five surrounding towns approximately 0.5-2.0 miles from Rollshausen, in the district of Lohra. Serologic testing of some patients by local health authorities suggested acute Q fever. In Germany, Q fever is a reportable disease and 27-100 cases are reported annually; during 1995, no cases had been reported from Lohra. In July 1996, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) was invited to assist in an investigation of this cluster. This report summarizes the investigation of this outbreak, which indicated a high attack rate of Q fever in persons residing near the zoonotic origin of infection.