Q Fever is caused by which type of organism?

Q Fever is caused by which type of organism?

• A. Parasite
• B. Virus
• C. Bacterium
• D. Fungus

Answer: (C)

Q fever is caused by a bacterium. The organism responsible, Coxiella burnetii, is an obligate intracellular bacterium, meaning it lives and replicates inside host cells but is still a bacterial cell with its own metabolism. This distinguishes it from viruses (which are not cells and rely entirely on host machinery), fungi (which are eukaryotic organisms with different cell structures), and parasites (a broad term for various disease-causing organisms). Knowing it’s a bacterium explains why antibiotic treatment, such as doxycycline, is used rather than antiviral or antifungal therapies.

Q fever is caused by a bacterium. The organism responsible, Coxiella burnetii, is an obligate intracellular bacterium, meaning it lives and replicates inside host cells but is still a bacterial cell with its own metabolism. This distinguishes it from viruses (which are not cells and rely entirely on host machinery), fungi (which are eukaryotic organisms with different cell structures), and parasites (a broad term for various disease-causing organisms). Knowing it’s a bacterium explains why antibiotic treatment, such as doxycycline, is used rather than antiviral or antifungal therapies.