Legionellosis at Hadassah University Hospital: A 1-year survey

S. Maayan*, G. Morali, D. Engelhard, Z. Akerman, E. Gez, M. Shapiro, H. Bercovier, T. Sacks

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

During 1985 in the Hadassah University Hospital we studied all hospitalized patients whose serum had been submitted for Legionella antibodies. Of 133 patients, 12 (9%) had legionellosis as diagnosed by serology, direct fluorescence, or culture. All Legionella cases appeared to be sporadic, nonseasonal, community-acquired pneumonia. There were no specific environmental co-factors or clustering. A significant predilection of the disease for immunosuppressed individuals was observed; the in-hospital mortality was high (5/12), especially if erythromycin therapy was delayed. L. pneumophila and L. bozemanii were the dominant etiological species. In Jerusalem, Legionella is not infrequently the etiological agent in community-acquired pneumonia in immunosuppressed patients.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)145-149
Number of pages5
JournalIsrael Journal of Medical Sciences
Volume27
Issue number3
StatePublished - 1991
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • community-acquired pneumonias
  • immunocompromised patients
  • legionellosis

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Legionellosis at Hadassah University Hospital: A 1-year survey'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this