title: Nosocomial legionellosis in three heart-lung transplant patients: case reports and environmental observations.
abstract: Organ transplant recipients are at high risk of contracting Legionnaires' disease in a hospital environment contaminated with legionellae. This study describes the first cases of culture-verified Legionella infections with an established link to potable hospital water in Denmark; three patients operated on at the Cardiopulmonary Transplant Unit, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, became infected with legionellae. Environmental and clinical isolates of Legionella pneumophila serogroups 1 and 6 were investigated by restriction enzyme analysis and ribotyping. An ice machine located in the kitchen of the intensive care unit was implicated as a source of infection in two of the three cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, Statens Seruminstitut, Artillerivej, Copenhagen S, Denmark.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bangsborg
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uldum
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Bruun
mesh_terms: D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology*; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D016041:Heart-Lung Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D016952:Legionella pneumophila / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007877:Legionnaires' Disease / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged