Q FEVER IN CANADA.

A Canada-wide survey of Q fever was begun in 1958 in co-operation with public health and veterinary laboratories to determine the presence and prevalence of the disease so that medical practitioners might be alerted to the potential dangers existing. Serologic evidence obtained indicated that the Q fever rickettsia now exists in cattle in all provinces of Canada except New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. Isolations of the rickettsia were obtained from bovine milk samples from Ontario and Quebec. The data suggest that the etiologic agent was not present in the western provinces during the early 1950's but since having been introduced into that area it has established itself successfully, particularly in Alberta. The ease with which the disease in man may be missed is illustrated by a previously unreported case which occurred in 1960 in the Eastern Townships of Quebec.