knabe,
Two articles by 'journalists' who probably didn't even have to take a basic biology course, and know virtually nothing about infectious disease. Some good information, but some misinformation, as well.
Neither agent - Chlamydia(now Chlamydophila) or Coxiella are a virus.
Q fever (Coxiella burnetti) is probably the infection that sidelined that coach. The chlamydia was incidental coinfection - undoubtedly complicated matters, but the Q fever is the scarier deal in the mix.
http://www.cdc.gov/qfever/
It's on the list of potential bioterrorism agents...
Infective dose for Coxiella is ONE viable organism/spore - and inhalation of aerosolized material is the principal route of infection.
I know a veterinary pathologist who contracted Q fever 4 years ago...and she's still not back to 100%; has shifted her emphasis/duties from diagnostics to workplace safety and disease prevention.
I see Coxiella abortions frequently in sheep/goats, but occasionally in cattle. Coxiella infection is endemic in many goat herds here. It's becoming more of a concern for folks in the veterinary diagnostic arena - and should be of concern to practicing veterinarians and livestock producers, as well.
Current recommendations are leaning toward performing small ruminant abortion necropsy examinations under a BSLIII hood, or at least wearing a face shield &/or respirator.
I'm not a raw milk fan - I think those 'raw milk' enthusiasts are crazy... Times and temperatures for milk pasteurization were initially determined as those required to kill Coxiella in milk...
Coxiella-infected animals may be asymptomatic, but will be shedding the organism in their milk...epidemiologic investigation of Q fever cases associated with raw milk has been linked, not to consumption, but to aerosolization of the agent and inhalation, as the contaminated raw milk was poured into a glass for consumption. Here's one report:
http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2012/08/29/cid.cis690.full
