title: Nosocomial outbreak of legionellosis in a rehabilitation center. Demonstration of potable water as a source.
abstract: Ten patients from a rehabilitation center were admitted to hospital with serious respiratory infections within ten weeks. An outbreak of Legionnaire's disease was suspected based on the epidemic and atypical manifestation of pneumonia and could be proven microbiologically. Pulmonary and extrapulmonary complications included respiratory failure, lung abscess, transitory renal impairment in five patients and acute renal failure requiring dialysis in one, tetraparesis caused by peripheral neuropathy and acute psychosis. Three patients died despite immediate institution of therapy with erythromycin. Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 subtype Pontiac was isolated from a bronchial lavage sample of one patient and from the water supply of the rehabilitation center. Monoclonal antibody subtyping and restriction endonuclease analysis were performed on both environmental and patient isolates. Potable water was identified as the source of the outbreak based on identical patterns on restriction endonuclease analysis. Despite thermic and chemical disinfection with chlorination (up to 15 ppm) in the rehabilitation clinic, an eleventh case of Legionnaire's disease was detected 11 months later.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik I, Klinikum Bayreuth, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nechwatal
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ehret
authors.forename: O J
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Klatte
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Zeissler
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prull
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lutz
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D002423:Cause of Death; D002713:Chlorine; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004203:Disinfection; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016952:Legionella pneumophila / Q000145:classification; D007877:Legionnaires' Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D012703:Serotyping / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D002713:Chlorine; D004917:Erythromycin