Legionellosis acquired through a dental unit – a case study

• Published in: The Journal of hospital infection Vol. 96; no. 1; pp. 89 - 92
• Main Authors: Schönning, Caroline, Jernberg, Cecilia, Klingenberg, Daniela, Andersson, Sabina, Pääjärvi, Anna, Alm, Erik, Tano, Eva, Lytsy, Birgitta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2017
• Subjects: Aged; Colony Count, Microbial - methods; Cross Infection - epidemiology; Cross Infection - microbiology; Cross Infection - mortality; Dental Offices - standards; Dental unit; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field - methods; Epidemiological typing; Fatal Outcome; Hospitalization; Humans; Immunocompromised Host; Infectious Disease; Legionella; Legionella pneumophila - classification; Legionella pneumophila - genetics; Legionella pneumophila - growth & development; Legionella pneumophila - isolation & purification; Legionellosis - diagnosis; Legionellosis - epidemiology; Legionellosis - microbiology; Legionellosis - mortality; Legionnaires' Disease - diagnosis; Legionnaires' Disease - microbiology; Legionnaires' Disease - urine; Male; SBT; Serotyping - methods; Sweden - epidemiology; Vårdhygien; Water Microbiology; WGS; Whole Genome Sequencing - methods; WGS; epidemiological typing; dental unit; SBT; legionella; Dental unit; Legionella; Epidemiological typing
• ISSN: 0195-6701; 1532-2939; 1532-2939
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2017.01.009

Abstract In 2012, an elderly immunocompromised man died from legionellosis at a hospital in Uppsala, Sweden. The patient had visited a dental ward at the hospital during the incubation period. Legionella bacteria in a concentration of 2,000 cfu/L were isolated from the cupfiller outlet providing water for oral rinsing. Isolates from the patient and the dental unit were both Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1, subgroup Knoxville and ST9. Pulse field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) results and Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) strongly suggested that isolates were of common origin. We present one of a few documented cases of legionellosis acquired through a dental unit.