EnglishLegionella/Legionnaires’ Disease
Legionnaires' Disease can range from mild respiratory illness to fatal pneumonia.3 Between 25,0001 and 100,0002 cases of Legionnaires’ disease occur in the U.S. each year, of which 90 percent are caused by Legionella pneumophila. Differentiation of Legionnaires’ disease from other respiratory infections is difficult – it may take three to fourteen days to get a culture result.4. Rapid diagnosis and appropriate antimicrobial therapy can lower the significant mortality rate – 25% to 40%1 – associated with this disease.
1. Marston BJ, Lipman HB, Breiman RF. Surveillance for Legionnaires’ Disease: risk factors for morbidity and mortality. Arch Intern Med 1994;154:2417-2422.
2. Horwitz MA, Marston BJ, Broome CV, et al. Prospects for vaccine development. Presented at the 4th International Symposium on Legionella, 1992. In: Barbaree JM, Breiman RF, DuFour AP, eds. Legionella: Current Status and Emerging Perspectives. Washington, D.C. American Society for Microbiology, 1993.
3. Fraser DW, Tsai TR, Orensein W, et al. Legionnaires’ disease: description of an epidemic of pneumonia. N Engl J Med 1977;297:1189-1197.
4. Edelstein, Paul. Legionella. Manual of Clinical Microbiology 9th Edition. 2007; 835-849.