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| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
| the offspring of a zebra and a donkey. |
| Q fever | |
| —n | |
| an acute disease characterized by fever and pneumonia, transmitted to man by the rickettsia Coxiella burnetii | |
| [C20: from q(uery) fever (the cause being unknown when it was named)] | |
Q fever n.
An infectious disease caused by the rickettsia Coxiella burnetii, characterized by fever, malaise, and muscular pains.
Q fever
acute, self-limited, systemic disease caused by the rickettsia Coxiella burnetii. Q fever spreads rapidly in cows, sheep, and goats, and in humans it tends to occur in localized outbreaks. The clinical symptoms are those of fever, chills, severe headache, and pneumonia. The disease is usually mild, and complications are rare. Treatment with tetracycline or chloramphenicol shortens the duration of illness.
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