Acute Q fever in an Omani presenting with a febrile movement disorder – A Case Report

Q fever is a zoonotic infection caused by the organism Coxiella burnetii. It is transmitted by contracting the organism from it is most known reservoirs which include cattle, sheep, and goats. It is an endemic disease with very few cases reported in the Arabian Peninsula. It can present with a wide range of clinical presentations; however, the neurological manifestation of Q fever is rare and overlooked hence we present a case report of a 38-year-old man who presented with fever, headache, and jerky movements. He had a significant exposure to livestock animals mainly goats and sheep. The work up was negative apart from positive Coxiella burnetii serology and serum PCR suggestive of acute Q fever. He had shown remarkable improvement after a course of antimicrobial therapy with complete resolution of fever and neurological symptoms. Our case report highlights the importance considering Q fever as a cause of unusual neurological symptoms in Q fever endemic areas and patients with a significant zoonotic exposure.