Legionella
E-news -- 21 November 2002
**IN
THIS ISSUE**
1. Summary of Cases Reported in France in 2001
2. Illnesses in Illinois Probably Pontiac Fever
3. Legionnaires' Lawsuits Settled
4. Seven Cases in Spain
5. Three Cases in Melbourne; Legal Action Considered
6. Should You Sample Water for Legionella?
7. Legionella Training Course in Washington, DC
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1. SUMMARY OF CASES REPORTED IN FRANCE IN 2001
==================================================================
In 2001, 807 cases of Legionnaires' disease were reported to the
Institut de veille sanitaire (French national public health centre);
that's 1.35 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, compared to a mean European
incidence of 0.6 per 100,000. Here is a summary:
*
Age range: 16-97 years
* Median age: 59 years
* Gender ratio: 3:1 men to women
* Outcome known in 69% of the cases
* Death rate: 19.9%
* Contributing factors (in 558 cases): 11% had a cancer or blood
disease, 12% received immunosuppressant treatment, 10% were diabetic,
and 40% were smokers.
* 13% (105/807) of the cases were acquired during a hospital stay
* 11% of the cases were travel-associated
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2. ILLNESSES IN ILLINOIS PROBABLY PONTIAC FEVER
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Pontiac fever is a flu-like illness caused by Legionella bacteria. Since
hospitalization is not required, and the symptoms are nonspecific,
Legionella will not be recognized as the cause of the illness unless a
cluster of cases gets the attention of the health department. Such was
the situation in Rockford, Ill., where health officials determined that
a cluster of illnesses probably was the result of an outbreak of Pontiac
Fever. The story, in today's edition of the Journal-Standard, can be
viewed at http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=6135620&BRD=1624&PAG=461&dept
_id=57111&rfi=6
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3. LEGIONNAIRES' LAWSUITS SETTLED
==================================================================
On 17 October 2002, the Associated Press reported that a settlement has
been reached in the last of 28 lawsuits related to a 1996 outbreak of
Legionnaires' disease that involved 34 cases, including four deaths. The
outbreak was blamed on a cooling tower at a Detroit area grocery store.
One of the survivors, and the family of one who died, sued the grocery
chain, the cooling tower manufacturer, and the company that maintained
the tower. The settlement was reached just before the trial was to
begin. Terms of the agreement were not released. The other lawsuits were
settled earlier this year.
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4. SEVEN CASES IN SPAIN
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On 17 October 2002, Reuters reported that Spanish health authorities
were investigating an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease that killed one
man and hospitalized six others. Five of the victims were in the same
hospital and came from the same district of Madrid.
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5. THREE CASES IN MELBOURNE; LEGAL ACTION CONSIDERED
==================================================================
Three men, aged 54, 61 and 81, were hospitalized with Legionnaires'
disease in Melbourne. One was still in intensive care as of 1 November.
Health officials tested and disinfected all cooling towers at 13 sites
in the suspected area. Legal action is being considered against the
owner of an industrial site with an unregistered tower. Victorian law
requires registration of every cooling tower. Source: Melbourne Herald
Sun
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6. SHOULD YOU SAMPLE WATER FOR LEGIONELLA?
==================================================================
Facts to consider about this long-debated issue are outlined in Matt
Freije's article "Testing the Waters: Facts to Consider When
Deciding Whether to Sample for Legionella." The article appeared in
the October 2002 issue of Health Facilities Management, a magazine
published by Health Forum Inc., an American Hospital Association
company. You can view it free of charge at http://www.hospitalconnect.com/hfmmagazine/jsp/articledisplay.jsp?dcrpath=
AHA/NewsStory_Article/data/0210HFM_Codes&domain=HFMMAGAZINE
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7. LEGIONELLA TRAINING COURSE IN WASHINGTON, DC
==================================================================
A few seats are still available for the Legionella Prevention Training
Course to be held 5-6 December 2002 in the Washington, DC area. The
Virginia Department of Mental Health is hosting the course, but
registrations should be made through HCINFO (http://hcinfo.com/legionellaseminar.htm).
The course will be held at VDMH's Northern Virginia Training Center in
Fairfax, Virginia. The site is only 10 miles from Washington Dulles
International Airport and close to many hotels and restaurants. Tuition
is US$495. After registering you will receive information on
transportation from the airport, driving directions, and nearby hotels.
If
you have access to a meeting facility, and would like to host a course,
please let us know. We can provide the two-day comprehensive course for
a mixed group (public health officials, hospital engineering personnel,
infection control directors, plumbing engineers, water treatment
professionals, industrial hygienists, etc.), or tailor a one-day course
for a specific audience. You can also get private training for your
organization. For more information, go to http://hcinfo.com/legionellaseminar.htm.
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(c)
Copyright 2002, HC Information Resources Inc. You have permission to
send this newsletter to others, post it on your web site, or include it
in listserv posts, under the strict condition that you include the
following notice to properly credit the source: "Excerpted from
Legionella E-news, a free e-newsletter available at http://hcinfo.com."
THANK
YOU!
Matt
Freije, Editor
HC Information Resources Inc.
Tel: 760-494-3063
Fax: 619-839-3166
hcinfo@hcinfo.com
http://hcinfo.com
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