Clinical Laboratory Science Bacteriology Practice Test 2026 – Complete Exam Prep

Coxiella burnetii is mainly spread by inhaling aerosols from infected animals, but it can also enter the human body through ingestion of unpasteurized milk. The organism is shed in the milk of infected animals and can survive in dairy products unless they are pasteurized, making raw milk a known transmission route. Contaminated water or vegetables are not typical sources, and while transfusion transmission has been reported rarely, the ingestion of unpasteurized milk is the classic non-aerosol route.