Emerging Q Fever Infection in Türkiye.

Objectives: Q fever, caused by Methods: Patients with seropositive Results: Thirty-two patients were diagnosed during the study period, of whom 22 (68.8%) were male; the median age was 60.5 years (IQR: 48-66). More than half were farmers, and 40.6% reported animal exposure. Based on serological and clinical criteria, 11 patients were diagnosed with acute Q fever, 16 with probable infection, one with chronic infection, and four with past infection. Common manifestations included fever, myalgia, arthralgia, hepatitis, and endocarditis; cardiovascular involvement occurred in 40.6% of patients. Two patients died, and notably, three patients with prosthetic valve endocarditis had a history of care at the same cardiac surgery clinic. Conclusions: Given its heterogeneous clinical manifestations and variable serological responses, Q fever poses significant diagnostic challenges. This study presents the first and largest human case series of Q fever from the Black Sea region of Türkiye, highlighting the wide clinical spectrum of the disease and the need for enhanced awareness and diagnostic capacity.