title: A new Legionella species, Legionella feeleii species nova, causes Pontiac fever in an automobile plant.
abstract: From 15 to 21 August 1981, Pontiac fever affected 317 automobile assembly plant workers. Results of serologic tests were negative for Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, respiratory tract viruses, and previously described legionellae. A gram-negative, rod-shaped organism (WO-44C) that did not grow on blood agar, required L-cysteine for growth, and contained large amounts of branched-chain fatty acids was isolated from a water-based coolant. The organism did not react with antisera against other legionellae, and on DNA hybridization the organism was less than 10% related to other Legionella species. Geometric mean titers found by indirect fluorescent antibody testing to WO-44C were significantly higher in ill employees than in controls (p = 0.0001). Attack rates by department decreased linearly with the department's distance from the implicated coolant system. The etiologic agent apparently was a new Legionella species; we propose the name Legionella feeleii species nova (AATC 35072). This is the first outbreak of nonpneumonic legionellosis in which the etiologic agent is not L. pneumophila, serogroup 1.
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols; D000391:Air Microbiology; D001336:Automobiles; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007875:Legionella / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D009864:Ontario; D012306:Risk; D012698:Serologic Tests; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols