Infection in renal transplantation: A case of acute Q fever

Acute Q fever is a zoonotic infection that most often occurs as an asymptomatic or very mild febrile illness. A small percentage of patients go on to develop chronic Q fever months or even years after the acute infection. We present a case of acute Q fever occurring in a renal transplant recipient who developed severe systemic disease with renal involvement. Serological diagnosis was carried out, and the patient was treated successfully with antibiotic therapy. This case emphasizes Q fever as one of the atypical infectious agents that may have serious consequences in immunocompromised renal transplant recipients and reminds us of the importance of careful inquiry regarding personal or occupational activities that could lead to exposure to specific organisms.