OBJECTIVE: To present the main results of the investigation of an outbreak of Legionnaire's disease that occurred in an inner city district of Barcelona between 15 October and 15 November 2000. METHODS: Epidemiological surveys of patients and environmental investigations were initiated on the day the first five cases were notified. Water samples and smears from cooling tower trays were taken for microbiological analysis. Maps of the distribution of cases and possible contamination foci were elaborated. Incidences were calculated for each census tract. RESULTS: A total of 54 patients related to the outbreak were identified, with a case fatality rate of 5.5%. Incidence rate in the area closest to the cooling tower (6.40/1000) was significantly higher than that of the rest of the neighbourhood (2.23/1.000, RR 2.87, 95%CI 1.37-6.12, P = 0.0035). Cultures positive for Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1, subtypes Pontiac, Philadelphia or Allentown, were obtained from eight patients. On the 39th day of the investigation it was found that the strain isolated in one of the cooling towers coincided with the serogroup, subtype and molecular profiles identified in clinical samples. CONCLUSIONS: Rapid coordination of clinicians, microbiologists, epidemiologists and environmentalists permitted the source of infection and the affected cases to be correlated within a few days.
OBJECTIVE: To present the main results of the investigation of an outbreak of Legionnaire's disease that occurred in an inner city district of Barcelona between 15 October and 15 November 2000. METHODS: Epidemiological surveys of patients and environmental investigations were initiated on the day the first five cases were notified. Water samples and smears from cooling tower trays were taken for microbiological analysis. Maps of the distribution of cases and possible contamination foci were elaborated. Incidences were calculated for each census tract. RESULTS: A total of 54 patients related to the outbreak were identified, with a case fatality rate of 5.5%. Incidence rate in the area closest to the cooling tower (6.40/1000) was significantly higher than that of the rest of the neighbourhood (2.23/1.000, RR 2.87, 95%CI 1.37-6.12, P = 0.0035). Cultures positive for Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1, subtypes Pontiac, Philadelphia or Allentown, were obtained from eight patients. On the 39th day of the investigation it was found that the strain isolated in one of the cooling towers coincided with the serogroup, subtype and molecular profiles identified in clinical samples. CONCLUSIONS: Rapid coordination of clinicians, microbiologists, epidemiologists and environmentalists permitted the source of infection and the affected cases to be correlated within a few days.
Authors: Don Weiss; Christopher Boyd; Jennifer L Rakeman; Sharon K Greene; Robert Fitzhenry; Trevor McProud; Kimberlee Musser; Li Huang; John Kornblum; Elizabeth J Nazarian; Annie D Fine; Sarah L Braunstein; Daniel Kass; Keren Landman; Pascal Lapierre; Scott Hughes; Anthony Tran; Jill Taylor; Deborah Baker; Lucretia Jones; Laura Kornstein; Boning Liu; Rodolfo Perez; David E Lucero; Eric Peterson; Isaac Benowitz; Kristen F Lee; Stephanie Ngai; Mitch Stripling; Jay K Varma Journal: Public Health Rep Date: 2017-01-31 Impact factor: 2.792
Authors: M R Sala Ferré; C Arias; J M Oliva; A Pedrol; M García; T Pellicer; P Roura; A Domínguez Journal: Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis Date: 2008-08-28 Impact factor: 3.267
Authors: Rosalyn E O'Loughlin; Lon Kightlinger; Matthew C Werpy; Ellen Brown; Valerie Stevens; Clark Hepper; Tim Keane; Robert F Benson; Barry S Fields; Matthew R Moore Journal: BMC Infect Dis Date: 2007-08-09 Impact factor: 3.090