Sporadic cases of community acquired legionnaires' disease: an ecological study to identify new sources of contamination.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the relation between incidence of sporadic and community acquired legionnaires' disease and exposure to potentially contaminated industrial aerosols.


METHODS
Geographical ecological approach using the postcode as the statistical unit. A multivariate Poisson regression model was used to model the relation between exposure to industrial aerosols and legionnaires' disease.


METHODS
Metropolitan France.


RESULTS
More than 1000 sources of industrial exposure (aerosol and plume of smoke) were identified in 42 French departments. After adjusting for confounding factors, there was a statistically increased incidence of legionnaires' disease in postcodes with plume of smoke in comparison with postcodes without (RR=1.45, 95% CI=1.12 to 1.87), and in postcodes with more than one aerosol in comparison with postcodes without (RR=1.37, 95% CI=1.04 to 1.79).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings highlight that any industrial systems generating water aerosols should be regarded as potential sources of contamination for legionnaires' disease.
Che
D
D
Institut de Veille Sanitaire, Saint Maurice, France.
Decludt
B
B
Campese
C
C
Desenclos
J C
JC
D000336:Aerosols / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D007877:Legionnaires' Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors
D000336:Aerosols; D000393:Air Pollutants