No evidence of Legionella infection in general practice patients presenting with acute respiratory infections in The Netherlands.
The role of Legionella spp. in the aetiology of acute respiratory infections (ARIs) is largely unknown. In this case-control study, conducted in a general practitioner setting during 2000 and 2001, nose and throat samples from patients presenting with ARIs (n = 230) and controls (n = 200) were analysed for the presence of Legionella spp. by real-time PCR. Legionella DNA was not detected in any of the cases or controls. Thus, Legionella spp. do not seem to play a role in patients presenting with ARIs, nor were they present in patients who visited their general practitioner for complaints other than ARIs.
Diederen
B M W
BM
Laboratory of Medical Microbiology, St Elisabeth Hospital, Tilburg, The Netherlands. b.diederen@elisabeth.nl
de Jong
C M A
CM
Aarts
I
I
Peeters
M F
MF
van Gageldonk-Lafeber
A B
AB
Wilbrink
B
B
van der Zee
A
A
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D005194:Family Practice; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007875:Legionella; D007876:Legionellosis / Q000175:diagnosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology; D009426:Netherlands; D010614:Pharynx / Q000382:microbiology; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*
D004269:DNA, Bacterial