Health and Human Services Department officials have shot down any likelihood of a Q Fever threat at the former Ballarat saleyards.
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It followed reports workers at a Geelong saleyard tested positive to having had the disease.
Q Fever can cause influenza like symptoms, such as fever, chills and muscle aches.
Occasionally the fever causes long-term complications such as heart disease.
It can only be caught through contacts with livestock, particularly sheep or cattle, and is not transmissible from human to human.
The fever can be vaccinated against and people who have previously caught it can react badly to the vaccine.
However they are also highly unlikely to catch it for a second time.
It is common for some people to have the virus, but not show any symptoms, or mistake the symptoms for a cold.
Department spokesperson Bram Alexander said the Geelong cases were not an outbreak of the fever, and Ballarat residents had nothing to worry about.
“Anyone who has previously worked at the saleyards in Ballarat should not have an cause for concern,” he said.
“If we think someone has got Q fever, we want two positive blood samples, taken two weeks apart, before we give confirmation.
“In the Geelong area, we don’t have any probably cases of Q fever – what the council is doing there in relation to their workers, is absolutely the right thing.”
Mr Alexander said Ballarat residents living near the former saleyards were not at risk because contracting Q fever required constant, regular contact with livestock.
“Early onset symptoms mimic things like influenza and the common cold if people have a doubt,” he said.
“If they had exposure to it in the past they may have fallen ill with it, but not so ill they needed medical attention, and so it was diagnosed at the time,” he said.
“Anyone new coming to work at a facility such as saleyards and abattoirs as part of OH&S provisions, need to be vaccinated.”
The fever is transmitted through spores, given off in the dust, dirt and general grim created by livestock.
This includes animal urine, faeces or birth product and contaminated wool or hides.
If people suspect they have Q fever they should consult with their doctor.
Workers mostly likely to contract the fever include farmers, shooters, abattoir workers, meat inspectors, shearers, veterinarians and wool sorters.
They can get help from their doctor or the Communicable Disease Prevention and Control Unit on 1300 651 160.
The Australian Q fever register help line can be called on 1300 733 837.
