[Legionellosis, a tourist problem?]

Legionellosis is a relatively rare disease characterized by an often prolonged and complicated course even in immunocompetent patients. Its diagnosis is mandatory for therapeutic and epidemiologic reasons. At the Kantonsspital Chur between 1998 and 2001, 6 cases of legionellosis have been observed: four of them were travel-associated and one concerned a local hotel employee. Due to the increasing international mobility epidemiologic investigations for the localization and elimination of the sources of infection are very difficult. A european task force, the European Working Group for Legionella Infections (EWGLI/www.ewgli.org) is addressing this problem. It is a matter of debate to what extent the public should be informed about sources of legionellosis (so called legionella hotels).