Healthcare-Associated Legionnaires' Disease, Europe, 2008-2017

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Healthcare-associated Legionnaires' disease (HCA LD) presents a significant risk for nosocomial outbreaks with high mortality rates.
• Understanding the epidemiology of HCA LD is crucial for developing effective prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare community-acquired LD with HCA LD in Europe.
• To identify demographic, etiological, and outcome differences between community-acquired and HCA LD.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from The European Surveillance System (2008-2017).
• Comparison of 40,411 community-acquired LD cases with 4,315 HCA LD cases across 29 European countries.
• Examination of patient demographics, causative Legionella pneumophila serogroups, and mortality rates.

Main Results:

• HCA LD was more prevalent in women, children (<20 years), and older adults (>60 years).
• Community-acquired LD was more frequently caused by L. pneumophila serogroup 1 (92.3%) compared to HCA LD (85.1%).
• Patients with HCA LD exhibited a higher likelihood of mortality.

Conclusions:

• HCA LD is associated with distinct patient demographics, specific bacterial strains, and poorer outcomes.
• Healthcare facilities must integrate these findings into targeted HCA LD prevention strategies.