Q fever is serious. It’s spreading. And every livestock worker is at risk. Most farmers have heard of Q fever, but you might be surprised by the number of people who don’t know just how dangerous the disease is, or how wide-reaching it can be.
About 600 cases of Q fever are diagnosed in Australia each year.
And although most cases have been known to occur north of the border in Queensland and New South Wales, the disease still occurs in Victoria, especially when stock is introduced from interstate properties.
Q fever is carried by cattle, sheep, goats, feral animals and rodents, and can be transmitted to humans.
It affects farmers, farm employees, shearers, animal carriers, abattoir workers, meat inspectors and vets, so if you work with livestock right across the supply chain, you are at risk of getting Q fever.
Industry loses millions of dollars in productivity across the supply chain each year due to Q fever.
The meat industry alone loses at least $1 million. When you add that up across the livestock sector, it’s pretty significant and really underscores the importance of getting your employees vaccinated.
The Victorian Farmers Federation wants you to be aware of the impact of the disease, which is why we’re launching a campaign to raise awareness about the impacts on human health and the importance of getting immunised.
We’re holding industry workshops, preparedness toolkits and targeted advertising to promote the dangers of Q fever and the importance of vaccination. This campaign will give the whole supply chain a chance to improve their knowledge of Q fever and how they could be affected if they aren’t vaccinated to safeguard against lost productivity and economic issues.
However, it’s also up to employers to make the effort to read the fact sheets and come to our seminars to learn just how destructive the disease can be to the entire livestock industry.
The campaign will spread across autumn and spring.
By the end, we hope to ensure the whole supply chain has taken the opportunity to improve their knowledge of Q fever and how they could be affected if they aren’t vaccinated against the disease.
Leonard Vallance, Victorian Farmers Federation livestock president
