Bilthoven – Three people in the Netherlands have died this year after contracting so-called Q-fever, according to the national institute for public health and the environment.

Q-fever is caused by a bacteria that is spread mainly by goats.
 
One patient died in 2008 and the three in 2009, said Roel Coutinho, director of the institute. All of the patients were suffering from additional serious complaints.

Microbiologist Peter Wever of the Jeroen Bosch hospital in Den Bosch told the ANP that one to two percent of hospitalised Q-fever patients die, according to medical literature.

Some 1429 infected patients were reported by general practitioners since the beginning of 2009.

To limit the spread of the disease, 130,000 goats in the provinces of Noord-Brabant, Limburg and Gelderland will be vaccinated.

Radio Netherlands / Expatica