Fulminant hepatic failure and acute renal failure as manifestations of concurrent Q fever and cytomegalovirus infection: a case report

BACKGROUND: Coxiella burnetii is an obligate bacterial pathogen that causes Q fever. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) commonly exists as a latent infection in healthy people. Co-infection with both pathogens is rare. CASE PRESENTATION: We report an immunocompetent 53-year-old male farmer who presented with fulminant hepatic failure and acute renal failure. Empiric antibiotic treatment with intravenous penicillin G and levofloxacin were given, but hepatic and renal functions continued to deteriorate. A subsequent test of serum immunoglobulin M was positive for CMV, and administration of gancyclovir led to gradual recovery. A diagnosis of acute Q fever was confirmed by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) on paired serum samples to demonstrate a significant rise in antibody titers. Antibiotic treatment was adjusted accordingly. CONCLUSION: CMV co-infection should be considered in patients with acute Q fever when they do not respond to standard antimicrobial agents. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12879-014-0651-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.