Brussels, 19/02/2010 (Agence Europe) - The Netherlands wants the Agriculture Council on Monday 22 February to discuss the situation with regard to Q fever, which is giving cause for serious concern. Q fever is a zoonosis, that is, it is an animal disease, caused by the microbe Coxielle burnetti, which can be passed on to humans. It is a disease that is to be found in several parts of the globe and little is known on how it spreads and how it is cured. Until 2007, there were an average of 20 human cases annually of Q fever in the Netherlands. The following year, however, the number rose to 1,000. In 2009, more than 2,000 people caught the disease. At the end of 2009, the Dutch agriculture and health ministries took measures to eradicate the disease, including slaughtering pregnant goats in farms where there had been outbreaks. This step attracted the attention of the European Parliament, the media and the public. On 25-26 February, the Netherlands will have a meeting with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to exchange information on this disease and discuss the situation. (L.C./transl.rt)