Legionnaires’ Disease from a Novel Source

An outbreak of 56 cases in Norway was associated with the vapor from an industrial air scrubber; some case patients lived >10 km from the source.

Legionella species underlie approximately 2% of all cases of community-acquired pneumonia in Europe. Although cases may occur sporadically, outbreaks of legionnaires’ disease (LD) have been reported, some of them linked to vapor-producing devices. In Norway, <25 cases of LD are reported annually; about half are acquired during travel abroad.

In May 2005, health authorities in Østfold County, Norway, received a report of three confirmed cases of LD at a single hospital within a few days. A subsequent epidemiologic investigation identified 56 confirmed LD cases during a 2-week period. Ten of the patients (18%) died. Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 (Lp1) was isolated from 10 patients; 8 isolates had identical DNA fingerprints, and the other …

Reviewing Author

Neil M. Ampel, MD

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Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesCoccidioidomycosis Study Group (Past President, Secretary, Treasurer)

Neil M. Ampel, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesCoccidioidomycosis Study Group (Past President, Secretary, Treasurer)

Legionnaires’ Disease from a Novel Source

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Reviewing Author