Korean J Infect Dis.  1998 Jun;30(3):218-226.

A Molecular Epidemiological Study on a Cluster of Legionella Pneumonia Occurred in a Tertiary-Care Hospital

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University.
  • 2Department of Clinical Pathology, College of Medicine, Korea University.
  • 3Institute of Life Science, Korea University.
  • 4Infection Control Unit, Korea University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Because of the ubiquity of Legionella species in aquatic environments, molecular epidemiological analysis of Legionella isolates is important in investigation for source of infection and subsequent control of nosocomial legionellosis. In association with an unusual cluster of nosocomial pneumonia with Legionella in a tertiary-care hospital, we performed an environmental surveillance with molecular epidemiological study of Legionella isolates.
METHODS
We randomly collected 20 samples of environmental and portable water from the hospital where three cases of Legionella pneumonia occurred consecutively during the period of 5 months. We detected Legionella from the samples by using both culture and polymerase chain reaction(PCR), and analyzed Legionella isolates from patients and environmental samples together with 12 reference strains by ribotyping using HpaI and EcoRI.
RESULTS
Legionella was isolated from 3 out of 20(15%) samples by culture, and detected in 9 of 20(45%) by PCR. Ribotyping analysis showed that 2 patients' and 2 environmental isolates from a faucet of the patient's room and an air handling unit shared the same pattern which was also identical to that of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 6, a reference strain.
CONCLUSION
The study showed that the hospital environments were contaminated with at least 2 Legionella species including L. pneumophila serogroup 6, and indicated that an unusual cluster of Legionella pneumonia occurred in the hospital was possibly linked to the contamination of a faucet with L. pneumophila serogroup 6.

Keyword

Legionella; Ribotyping; Nosocomial pneumonia

MeSH Terms

Environmental Monitoring
Epidemiologic Studies*
Humans
Legionella pneumophila
Legionella*
Legionellosis
Pneumonia*
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Ribotyping
Water
Water
Full Text Links
  • KJID
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr