title: A community outbreak of Legionnaires' disease associated with a cooling tower in Vic and Gurb, Catalonia (Spain) in 2005.
abstract: We report the investigation of a community-acquired outbreak of Legionnaires' disease. An epidemiological, environmental, and meteorological investigation was undertaken. Fifty-five cases were reported in October and November 2005. The exposure occurred in a large area, with 12 cases (21.8%) located between 1,800 and 3,400 metres from the source. Water sample cultures showed that Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 (Lp-1) was present in five cooling towers in two industrial locations in Gurb (plants A and B). Two Lp-1 strains were recovered from plants A and B, but only Lp-1 strains from plant A showed a pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) profile identical to those obtained from three of the cases. Inspection of the cooling towers in plant A revealed inadequate maintenance. Weather conditions in October 2005, with mostly high temperatures and high humidity, together with the flat terrain could have been favouring factors. This study showed a community outbreak from a cooling tower as a common source in a large area. Climate and terrain could explain the dissemination of contaminated aerosols.
authors.affiliation: Epidemiological Surveillance Unit Central Region, Department of Health, Generalitat of Catalonia, Terrassa, Spain. rsala@sapcll.scs.es
authors.forename: M R Sala
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Ferré
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arias
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Oliva
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pedrol
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pellicer
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roura
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Domínguez