Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-cjp7w Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-06T16:10:54.997Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Recommended Precautions for Patients with Legionnaires' Disease

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

William R. Jarvis
William R. Jarvis*
Affiliation:
Hospital Infections Program, Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, Georgia
*
Hospital Infections Program, Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, GA 30333
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

As diagnostic techniques for the identification of Legionella species have become readily available, recognition of the pneumonic form of Legionellosis has increased. In particular, cases of hospital-acquired Legionella pneumophila are being identified and this has led to concern over possible person-to-person transmission. In most epidemiologic investigations where a source has been identified, water has been implicated. Person-to-person transmission has not been convincingly documented. Therefore, we discourage expensive or inconvenient special precautions for patients hospitalized with Legionnaires' Disease. Rather, we recommend that such patients be placed in secretion precautions until effective antimicrobial therapy has eradicated the organism.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 3 , Issue 5 , October 1982 , pp. 401 - 404
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1982

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Glick, TH, Gregg, MB, Berman, B, et al: Pontiac fever. An epidemic of unknown etiology in a health department. Clinical and epidemiologic aspects. Am J Epidemiol 1978;107:149–160.Google Scholar
2. Cordes, LG, Fraser, DW, Skaliy, P, et al: Legionnaires' disease outbreak at an Atlanta, Georgia, country club: Evidence for spread from an evaporative condenser. Am J Epidemiol 1980;111:425–431.Google Scholar
3. Dondero, TJ Jr Rendtorff, RD, Mallison, GF, et al: An outbreak of Legionnaires' disease associated with a contaminated air-conditioning cooling tower. N Engl J Med 1980;302:365–370.Google Scholar
4. Politi, BD, Fraser, DW, Mallison, GF, et al: A major focus of Legionnaires' disease in Bloomington, Indiana. Ann Intern Med 1979;90:587–591.Google Scholar
5. Morris, GK, Patton, CM, Feeley, JC, et al: Isolation of the Legionnaires' disease bacterium from environmental samples. Ann Intern Med 1979;90:664–666.Google Scholar
6. Fisher-Hoch, SP, Tobin, J, Nelson, AM, et al: Investigation and control of an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in a district general hospital. Lancet 1981;1:932–936.Google Scholar
7. Fliermans, CB, Cherry, WB, Orrison, LH, et al: Isolation of Legionella pneumophilia from nonepidemic-relaled aquatic habitats. Appl Environ Microbiol 1979;37:1239–1242.Google Scholar
8. Tobin, JOH, Dunnill, MS, French, M, et al: Legionnaire's disease in a transplant unit — Isolation of the causative agent from shower baths. Lancet 1980;2:118–121.Google Scholar
9. Cordes, LG, Wiesenthal, AM, Gorman, GW, et al: Isolation of Legionella pneumophila from hospital shower heads. Ann Intern Med 1981;94:195–197.Google Scholar
10. Tobin, J, Bartlett, CLR, Waitkins, SA, et al: Legionnaires' disease: Further evidence to implicate water storage and distribution systems as sources. Br Med J 1981;282:573.Google Scholar
11. Shands, KN, Ho, JL, Meyer, RD, et al: Potable water: Possible role in epidemic Legionnaires' disease. Read before the 20th Inlerscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, New Orleans, September 1980.Google Scholar
12. Fraser, DW, Tsai, TR, Orenstein, W, et al: Legionnaires' disease: Description of an epidemic of pneumonia. N Engl J Med 1977;297:1189–1197.Google Scholar
13. Marks, JS, Tsai, TF, Martone, WJ, et al: Nosocomial Legionnaires' Disease in Columbus, Ohio. Ann Intern Med 1979;90:565–569.Google Scholar
14. Broome, CV, Goings, SAJ, Thacker, SB, et al: The Vermont epidemic of Legionnaires' disease. Ann Intern Med 1979;90:573–577.Google Scholar
15. Saravolatz, LD, Burch, KH, Fisher, E, et al: The compromised host and Legionnaires' disease. Ann Intern Med 1979;90:533–537.Google Scholar
16. Isolation Techniques for Use in Hospitals, ed 2. US Dept of Health and Human Services publication No. (CDC) 80-8314, Center for Disease Control, Government Printing Office, 1975.Google Scholar
17. Edelstein, PH, Meyer, RA: Laboratory diagnosis of Legionnaires' disease. Am Rev Resp Dis 1980;121:317–327.Google Scholar