In most people, the symptoms of Q fever will get better without treatment within two weeks.
You may need treatment with antibiotics if your symptoms:
- are severe
- do not improve
- return after your initial infection
Acute Q fever
If you have short-term (acute) Q fever, you may be prescribed doxycycline or tetracycline.
You will need to take these for 7-14 days and for at least three days after your fever has improved.
If you are prescribed antibiotics, it is important that you finish the whole course, even if you feel better. This will ensure that all the bacteria have been killed, preventing the infection from reoccurring.
Chronic Q fever
Long-term (chronic) Q fever can be difficult to treat because the c. burnetii bacteria, which cause Q fever, can be resistant to antibiotics. This means the antibiotics can’t kill them.
You will need to take a combination of antibiotics, such as doxycycline and hydroxychloroquine.
It is recommended that you take these for at least three years. However, the infection returns in more than half of people.
You may need to have blood tests every three to six months while you are being treated to check that the treatment is working.
If you have inflammation of the lining of your heart (endocarditis), you will need to be treated in hospital. Read more about treating endocarditis.
