Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

[Legionnaire's disease outbreak].

M Pilar Barrufet-Barqué1, Goretti Sauca-Subias, Lluís Force-Sanmartín

  • 1Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital de Mataró, Mataró, Barcelona, Spain. pbarrufet@csm.scs.es

Medicina Clinica
|March 31, 2006
PubMed
Summary

An outbreak of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 in Mataró affected 151 individuals, primarily linked to a contaminated cooling tower. Prompt diagnosis and treatment contributed to low mortality in this Legionnaires' disease outbreak.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Incidence of catheter-related bloodstream infection in a general hospital using two different detection methods.

Enfermedades infecciosas y microbiologia clinica·2012
Same author

Adaptation and follow-up to noninvasive home mechanical ventilation: ambulatory versus hospital.

Respiratory medicine·2008
Same author

[Chronotherapy of arterial hypertension].

Medicina clinica·2006
Same author

[Prosthetic joint infection: a prospective study in five Catalonian hospitals].

Enfermedades infecciosas y microbiologia clinica·2006

Area of Science:

  • Epidemiology
  • Microbiology
  • Public Health

Context:

  • A significant outbreak of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 occurred in Mataró, Catalunya, Spain, in August 2002.
  • The identified source was a contaminated cooling tower, highlighting environmental risks.

Purpose:

  • To describe the epidemiological, clinical, and microbiological features of the Legionella outbreak.
  • To identify the causative agent and its source for public health intervention.

Summary:

  • The outbreak affected 151 individuals, with 144 cases of Legionnaires' disease pneumonia and 7 of Pontiac Fever. Key symptoms included fever, chills, and muscular pain. Antigenuria testing was highly effective (76% confirmation), and molecular analysis confirmed the cooling tower as the source.
  • Risk factors included smoking (40%) and comorbidities like diabetes mellitus (22%). Severe illness was observed in 43% of patients.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Legionella spp. was isolated from respiratory secretions in 10 patients, enabling molecular confirmation of clonality with the cooling tower isolate.

    • Impact:

    • This investigation facilitated the prompt identification of the environmental source, enabling control measures.
    • The study underscores the importance of antigenuria testing for rapid diagnosis in Legionnaires' disease outbreaks.
    • Low observed mortality suggests the effectiveness of rapid diagnosis and targeted treatment in managing Legionella outbreaks.