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Active Surveillance of Legionnaires Disease During a Prospective Observational Study of Community-and Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Erica Leoni ,
Rossella Sacchetti ,
Manuela Aporti ,
Claudio Lazzari ,
Manuela Donati ,
Franca Zanetti ,
Giovanna De Luca ,
Gian Franco Finzi  and
Pier Paolo Legnani
Erica Leoni*
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine and Public Health, Division of Hygiene, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Rossella Sacchetti
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine and Public Health, Division of Hygiene, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Manuela Aporti
Affiliation:
Sanitary Direction, St. Orsola-Malpighi General Hospital, Bologna, Italy
Claudio Lazzari
Affiliation:
Sanitary Direction, St. Orsola-Malpighi General Hospital, Bologna, Italy
Manuela Donati
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Division of Microbiology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Franca Zanetti
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine and Public Health, Division of Hygiene, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Giovanna De Luca
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine and Public Health, Division of Hygiene, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
Gian Franco Finzi
Affiliation:
Sanitary Direction, St. Orsola-Malpighi General Hospital, Bologna, Italy
Pier Paolo Legnani
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine and Public Health, Division of Hygiene, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
*
Dipartimento di Medicina e Sanità Pubblica, Via S. Giacomo 12, 40126 Bologna, Italy (erica.leoni@unibo.it)
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Abstract

A prospective surveillance study of legionnaires disease and an environmental survey of Legionella species were performed simultaneously in a general hospital. During a period of 3 years, 705 patients with pneumonia were screened with a Legionella urinary antigen test, and pneumonia was confirmed by culture and serological tests. Twelve cases of legionnaires disease were identified, none of which were hospital acquired, despite the fact that 60% of hospital water samples were contaminated with Legionella pneumophila at a concentration of more than 103 colony-forming units/L. The probable source of infection was identified for only 2 community-acquired cases. The results show that environmental contamination alone is not able to predict the risk of legionnaires disease. If no cases are present, monitoring of hospital water systems is of little significance; clinical surveillance is much more important.

Type
Concise Communications
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 28 , Issue 9 , September 2007 , pp. 1085 - 1088
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2007

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