Coxiella burnetii and “Q fever” – History, Disease, Diagnostics, and Consequences of Detection

Join us for an in-depth webinar on Coxiella burnetii, causative agent of “Q fever”, covering its history, global distribution, and impact as a zoonotic bacterial disease affecting both humans and animals. Learn how the WVDL manages suspect Coxiella burnetii cases, what constitutes a "suspect" case, and when testing is recommended. We'll also discuss the procedures that follow a positive detection of this reportable bacterial disease agent, which involve state and national health agencies, veterinarians, and owners.

Speaker

Maggie Highland, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVP
Dr. Maggie Highland has been serving as the Section Head of Pathology Sciences and Professional Veterinary Services at the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory since July 2022. Dr. Highland is a 2006 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine. She completed her anatomic pathology residency training at UC-Davis and as a anatomic pathology fellow at the Milwaukee County Zoo and Department of Pathobiological Sciences in the UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine. Following residency training, Dr. Highland earned a Ph.D. in Immunology and Infectious Disease from Washington State University within a USDA Ph.D. trainee program in Pullman, WA. After completing her professional training, Dr. Highland served 3 years as a Veterinary Researcher with the USDA, specializing in small ruminant infectious diseases. She then spent 3 years in Manhattan, KS as a diagnostician and necropsy laboratory section head at the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, before heading back home to Wisconsin. Dr. Highland maintains a strong interest in small ruminant health and disease processes, notably infectious diseases, and immunology.