Epidemiological survey of a major outbreak of nosocomial legionellosis

Forty-seven nosocomial cases of legionellosis due to Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 were diagnosed in one major outbreak from November 1982 to March 1983 in a 960-bed teaching hospital. Contaminated water was considered to be a possible source of infection because, during that period, monthly sa...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inInternational journal of epidemiology Vol. 16; no. 3; p. 466
Main Authors Guiguet, M, Pierre, J, Brun, P, Berthelot, G, Gottot, S, Gibert, C, Valleron, A J
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England 01.09.1987
Subjects
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Child
Cross Infection - epidemiology
Cross Infection - etiology
Cross Infection - prevention & control
Disease Outbreaks
Epidemiologic Methods
France
Humans
Legionella - isolation & purification
Legionellosis - epidemiology
Legionellosis - etiology
Legionellosis - prevention & control
Middle Aged
Risk Factors
Water Microbiology
France
Online AccessGet more information

Cover

More Information
Summary:Forty-seven nosocomial cases of legionellosis due to Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 were diagnosed in one major outbreak from November 1982 to March 1983 in a 960-bed teaching hospital. Contaminated water was considered to be a possible source of infection because, during that period, monthly samples were found to be positive with averages of 10(4) CFU/l. After chlorination of hot water associated with flushing of outlets, nearly all samples taken in the next two years were found to be negative. A case-control study was performed to examine potential risk factors. Three groups of controls were randomly selected among eligible patients. In a multivariate analysis, only three clinical factors were found to be associated with legionellosis patients: malignant illness (relative risk, RR = 3.5), presence of an ultimately fatal disease (RR = 2.6), and exposure to corticosteroids prior to admission (RR = 7.9). Investigations of in-hospital exposures suggest that during this nosocomial outbreak diagnostic or therapeutic respiratory procedures had not increased the risk of illness. Although the epidemiological association between water contamination and disease remains unclear, the eradication of L. pneumophila from the identified supply seems to have been effective in preventing disease in this hospital.
ISSN:0300-5771
DOI:10.1093/ije/16.3.466