Preventing Q Fever on farm

If you are a Victorian dairy farm owner, employee, or share or lease a dairy farm and are over 15 years old, you are eligible to access subsidised Q Fever screening and vaccinations. The process involves:

1. Registering for 2 appointments with a chosen participating clinic via the GippsDairy website and paying a $145 co-contribution. The subsidy saves you approximately $100.
2. Attending a screening appointment at the chosen participating clinic which includes a blood and skin test for presence of Q Fever antibodies (i.e. whether you have had previous exposure to Q Fever and immunity built).
3. Attending the second appointment (must be 7 days from the screening appointment) where the test results will determine:
   • If a vaccination is required (no antibodies/prior exposure to Q Fever detected).
   • If no vaccination is required (antibodies present/previous exposure to Q Fever). If no vaccination is required, you will be reimbursed $115.
4. Completing feedback survey. 

What is Q Fever? 

Q Fever is an infectious disease, caused by the spreading of the bacterium Coxiella burnetii from animals to humans. 

• Q Fever can cause long-term complications including chronic fatigue and heart disease. 
• People who work with animals – particularly cattle, sheep and goats – or animal products (e.g. unpasteurised milk) are at a higher risk of developing Q Fever.  
• There is an effective vaccine that can protect against Q Fever. 
• You must be tested before you can receive the vaccine. 
• Q Fever can be treated with antibiotics.  
   

How can people get Q Fever? 

People usually get infected with Q Fever by breathing in aerosols or dust from contaminated materials and animal products. The bacteria can survive in soil, dust and hay for a long period of time. This can happen while: 

• Birthing, handling, slaughtering or butchering infected animals.
• Handling infected animal faeces, urine, birth tissue or placentas.
• Handling infected clothing, wool, animal hides, straw or equipment.
• Herding, shearing or transporting infected animals.
• Mowing contaminated grass. 

Infected animals often have no symptoms and can shed bacteria in their urine, faeces or milk. People who do not have direct contact with animals may still be infected with Q Fever.

Symptoms of Q Fever 

Some people with Q Fever will show no symptoms while others will have severe flu-like symptoms, such as: 

• Fever and sweating.
• Chills.
• Headaches.
• Nausea.
• Muscle pain and fatigue.
• Vomiting and diarrhoea. 

Around 10-15% of people who are infected develop Q Fever fatigue syndrome. This can last for years and may affect someone’s ability to work or live a normal life. 

How to prevent Q Fever

Employers and workers can eliminate or reduce the risk of exposure to Q Fever in their workplace with risk control measures such as: 

• Q Fever screening and vaccination.
• Workplace design.
• Safe work practices.
• Workplace Q Fever policy. 
• Personal protective equipment (PPE). 

For more information visit: WorkSafe Victoria

Register now

The following medical centres in Gippsland, western Victoria and the Murray region of Victoria are providing subsidised Q Fever testing and vaccination.  
If there are no current or suitable dates, you can add your name to a waitlist on the medical centre registration page and GippsDairy will notify you directly when new dates are available.  

Gippsland

Medical Centre	Dates available
Breed St Medical Centre Traralgon	23 and 30 January 2026 – Register now
Central Clinic Warragul	12 and 19 February 2026 – Register now
Foster Medical Centre	10 and 17 February 2026 – Register now
Korumburra Medical Centre	6 and 13 February 2026 – Register now
Long St Medical Leongatha	4 and 11 February 2026 – Register now
Maffra Medical Centre	30 January 2026 – Register now
Neerim South Medical Centre	3 and 10 February 2026 – Register now
Orbost Medical Centre	To be announced
Stratford Medical Centre	13 and 26 February 2026 – Register now

Murray

To be announced.

Western Victoria

To be announced.

Further information and resources 

If you have any questions, please contact: Sue Mead, GippsDairy on 5624 3900.

• Raise awareness of Q Fever in the dairy farming sector.
• Improve access to testing and vaccination across dairy farming areas. 
• Increase the number of farmers and farm workers who are tested for Q Fever. 
• Improve understanding and implementation of preventative actions on-farm. 

This project has been made possible with funding from Dairy Australia and WorkSafe Victoria. This project is being managed through RM Consulting Group, Warragul. 

Further information

Q Fever – Health Direct
Q Fever – Better Health Victoria
Q Fever – National Farmer Centre for Health
Preventing Q Fever – Worksafe Victoria
Q Fever Facts

Gippsland resources

Q Fever Factsheet – Gippsland Regional Public Health Unit
Q Fever Vaccination Factsheet – Gippsland Regional Public Health Unit
Q Fever Poster for the Workplace – Gippsland Regional Public Health Unit
Find a Q Fever testing and vaccine provider in Gippsland
Case Study with Dairy Farmer Jason Tharle – Latrobe Regional Hospital 
Farming Safe and Well Podcast conversation with Karen McLennan, GippsDairy – AgVic