"Many Photos" - Boy, 9, almost dies after falling ill with a mysterious 'dust virus'

When Rebecca Beissel's son Beau first complained he was feeling unwell, she thought he was suffering from a virus that would pass. 

'He complained about symptoms typical of a virus and so I just picked him up from school one day,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

She had no idea that her nine-year-old son had contracted a deadly dust virus which would be dismissed as a fever by doctors and almost claim his life.  

When Rebecca Beissel's son Beau (pictured) complained he was feeling unwell she first thought it to be a passing virus

'He was not really interested in food and definitely eating less,' Ms Beissel said.

'He was feeling lethargic, which is unusual for a young boy and the stomach pains in particular were something that was a significant symptom.' 

So bad were the little boy's pains, Ms Beissel said he couldn't get from one room in their house to the next.

'I had to carry him around the house to take him to the toilet,' she said.

Concerned by his rapidly deteriorating state, Ms Beissel called an ambulance to their Wallumbilla property in remote Queensland to take him to the closest hospital at Roma - a 30-minute drive. 

Doctors carried out a series of tests and sent the family back home, believing he was suffering from a typical virus.  

But Ms Beissel wouldn't take that for an answer.

'He was just getting progressively worse,' she said.

'By this time he was right off his food. Instinct as a mother kicked in and I just felt like we had to do something.' 

Ms Beissel managed to get him to their GP on short notice and Dr Rosie Geraghty was immediately suspicious that Beau had a rare and potentially life-threatening virus.

Beau (pictured) was in so much pain his mother had to carry him from one room to the next

The virus, Q Fever, is a bacterial infection that can leave lifelong impacts on a person's health if not treated in time. 

The bacteria typically spreads from animals including cattle and sheep, but can also live in dust and soil for years. As Australia dips deeper into drought, cases of Q Fever are expected to become more common.  

Dr Geraghty referred Beau back to hospital for a (PCR) Q Fever test, but the hospital seemed to reject the referral in favour of testing antibodies in the blood produced in response to the Q Fever microbe.

The test has many failings as the immune system takes time to respond to that microbe and can return a negative result, even if the patient is infected. 

'It was a pretty critical mistake from the start,' Ms Beissel said.

'If they did the (PCR) Q Fever test at the start they would've known in the first 24 hours.

'They did an X-ray on his stomach and saw his gall bladder was enlarged and they became concerned they would have to operate to take it out.'

Not only was Beau completely off food, he had started to have difficulty drinking water.

Rather than get the quick and easy fix they expected at the Brisbane hospital, Ms Beissel found the worst was yet to come (pictured, Rebecca, Beau, Maggie and Craig Beissel)

Doctors then decided to fly him to Lady Cilento Children's Hospital in Brisbane.

'His blood sugar levels were so low they had to delay the flight until it was stabilised,' Ms Beissel said. 

'He was in such a bad way they had to tend to him the whole flight. He had to have oxygen on that flight... his body was starting to shut down.'  

Doctors at the Brisbane hospital - including many specialists - carried out as many as 108 blood tests as they scrambled to find out what was wrong with Beau, but the cause remained a mystery.

Beau was placed on a drip and given a feeding tube. He had lost an incredible 10kg over the space of two weeks and the ordeal started to take a toll on his mental health.

'There was so much poking and prodding, he was in so much pain I had to tell the doctors at one point to stop,' his mother recalled.

While the doctors at the hospital continued to run countless tests, Ms Beissel said her GP back home kept pushing for the PCR Q Fever test (pictured, Lady Cilento Children's Hospital)

It was around that time that Ms Beissel admitted she feared for the worst.

'It was after he had an episode, where his oxygen levels would drop and his heart rate would rise. The nurse actually had to press the emergency button and all the nurses came rushing in. That's when I felt like we were in trouble.' 

While the doctors at the hospital continued to run countless tests, Ms Beissel said her GP back home kept pushing for the PCR Q Fever test.

'When we arrived in Brisbane I actually got a call from our GP in Roma and she said Bec, I really do feel like Q Fever could be a possibility,' Ms Beissel said.

'I want you to make sure he has the PCR Q Fever test done.'

Despite the advice of the GP, Ms Beissel noted the PCR Q Fever test was not conducted.

Looking back she pins it on a cultural divide between city and rural living and said there isn't as good an understanding in the city about Q Fever.

Despite the constant setbacks, the GP back home continued to push for the test. 

Dr Rosie Geraghty called in the favour at medical testing lab Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology in Brisbane.

The blood sample was couriered and came at the lab at 6pm that day. 

By that time doctors at the hospital had decided to take the drastic measure of injecting steroids into the boy.

'They were actually about to inject the steroid and literally 30 seconds before steroids were injected the phone rang,' Ms Beissel said.

The time checked at 10pm. The results had come in. Tests had finally confirmed Beau was suffering from Q Fever.

He was given the standard antibitoic to treat the virus and Beau started to show signs of recovery within the space of 24 hours. 

Ms Beissel said the hospital had apologised to her and credited them for working tirelessly to treat him. 

With the worst of the illness behind him, Beau still lives with symptoms of the fever.

'Beau still has ongoing issues and has post-Q Fever fatigue syndrome. There are periods when he feels lethargic and down in the dumps. He also gets sore joints and his knees and ankles swell up.' 

Aside from running the family farm, Ms Beissel and partner Craig devote their time to raising awareness about the fever.

'We’re really passionate about trying to help to get the word out there, to educate people.

'We want to be positive, to help people become educated and aware of the situation and what tests are available. We want to connect farmers with people living the city so everyone has the same understanding of Q Fever.' 

Ms Beissel hopes more people will support NSW farmer's petition to the federal government.

The petition pushes for a new vaccine that is safe for children - as it stands, there is no vaccine available for anyone under the age of 15.  

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News Photo Boy, 9, almost dies after falling ill with a mysterious 'dust virus'
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