Investigation of a cluster of Legionnaires’ disease during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in northeastern Taiwan, June 2021
Purpose: To describe the investigation and intervention of a cluster of Legionnaires’ disease detected during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: From June 7 to 22, 2021, 15 cases in the neighborhood near our hospital were detected. Information about residence, wor...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Microbiology, Immunology and Infection |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1684118222000627 |
| _version_ | 1797994990814625792 |
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| author | Jung-Jr Ye Jun-Yuan Zheng Ya-Hsuan Chen Ya-Ling Kao Yu-Chin Kao Shao-Wen Chao |
| author_facet | Jung-Jr Ye Jun-Yuan Zheng Ya-Hsuan Chen Ya-Ling Kao Yu-Chin Kao Shao-Wen Chao |
| author_sort | Jung-Jr Ye |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Purpose: To describe the investigation and intervention of a cluster of Legionnaires’ disease detected during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: From June 7 to 22, 2021, 15 cases in the neighborhood near our hospital were detected. Information about residence, workplace, hospital visit, and potential exposures was collected. Sampling and decontamination were performed for potential sources. Results: All 15 patients had pneumonia when visiting the emergency room with negative COVID-19 test results. Most patients were male (73.3%) with the mean age of 65.7 years. The most common comorbidities were diabetes mellitus (40.0%) and hypertension (40%). The most common symptom was fever (93.3%). Two (13.3%) patients needed mechanical ventilators. Fever subsided within 2 days of treatment for most cases (85.7%). Five cases had exposure history at our hospital, and the other 10 lived or worked in the area within 2 km of our hospital, mostly in buildings A and B. Water sampling was carried out for our hospital, buildings A and B; one water sample from a cooling tower in our hospital cultured positive for Legionella bacteria. Early testing and treatment for suspected cases were carried out for the outbreak, and all cases were discharged with pneumonia resolution. Conclusion: This was a community outbreak of Legionnaires' disease near our hospital. COVID-19 tests were repeated frequently before testing for Legionnaires' disease during the COVID-19 pandemic. Early recognition of Legionnaires’ disease and timely treatment improved outcome. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T09:53:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b6db4d847d1441439250cd430b5ac9ce |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1684-1182 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T09:53:21Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Microbiology, Immunology and Infection |
| spelling | doaj.art-b6db4d847d1441439250cd430b5ac9ce2022-12-22T04:30:43ZengElsevierJournal of Microbiology, Immunology and Infection1684-11822022-12-0155611591167Investigation of a cluster of Legionnaires’ disease during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in northeastern Taiwan, June 2021Jung-Jr Ye0Jun-Yuan Zheng1Ya-Hsuan Chen2Ya-Ling Kao3Yu-Chin Kao4Shao-Wen Chao5Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Kee-Lung, Kee-Lung, Taiwan; College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Corresponding author. 12F., No.222, Maijin Rd., Anle Dist., Keelung City, 204, Taiwan. Fax: +886 2 24335342.Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Kee-Lung, Kee-Lung, TaiwanHospital Infection Control Team, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Kee-Lung, Kee-Lung, TaiwanHospital Infection Control Team, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Kee-Lung, Kee-Lung, TaiwanHospital Infection Control Team, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Kee-Lung, Kee-Lung, TaiwanDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Kee-Lung, Kee-Lung, TaiwanPurpose: To describe the investigation and intervention of a cluster of Legionnaires’ disease detected during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: From June 7 to 22, 2021, 15 cases in the neighborhood near our hospital were detected. Information about residence, workplace, hospital visit, and potential exposures was collected. Sampling and decontamination were performed for potential sources. Results: All 15 patients had pneumonia when visiting the emergency room with negative COVID-19 test results. Most patients were male (73.3%) with the mean age of 65.7 years. The most common comorbidities were diabetes mellitus (40.0%) and hypertension (40%). The most common symptom was fever (93.3%). Two (13.3%) patients needed mechanical ventilators. Fever subsided within 2 days of treatment for most cases (85.7%). Five cases had exposure history at our hospital, and the other 10 lived or worked in the area within 2 km of our hospital, mostly in buildings A and B. Water sampling was carried out for our hospital, buildings A and B; one water sample from a cooling tower in our hospital cultured positive for Legionella bacteria. Early testing and treatment for suspected cases were carried out for the outbreak, and all cases were discharged with pneumonia resolution. Conclusion: This was a community outbreak of Legionnaires' disease near our hospital. COVID-19 tests were repeated frequently before testing for Legionnaires' disease during the COVID-19 pandemic. Early recognition of Legionnaires’ disease and timely treatment improved outcome.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1684118222000627Legionnaires' diseasePneumoniaCOVID-19 |
| spellingShingle | Jung-Jr Ye Jun-Yuan Zheng Ya-Hsuan Chen Ya-Ling Kao Yu-Chin Kao Shao-Wen Chao Investigation of a cluster of Legionnaires’ disease during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in northeastern Taiwan, June 2021 Journal of Microbiology, Immunology and Infection Legionnaires' disease Pneumonia COVID-19 |
| title | Investigation of a cluster of Legionnaires’ disease during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in northeastern Taiwan, June 2021 |
| title_full | Investigation of a cluster of Legionnaires’ disease during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in northeastern Taiwan, June 2021 |
| title_fullStr | Investigation of a cluster of Legionnaires’ disease during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in northeastern Taiwan, June 2021 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Investigation of a cluster of Legionnaires’ disease during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in northeastern Taiwan, June 2021 |
| title_short | Investigation of a cluster of Legionnaires’ disease during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in northeastern Taiwan, June 2021 |
| title_sort | investigation of a cluster of legionnaires disease during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in northeastern taiwan june 2021 |
| topic | Legionnaires' disease Pneumonia COVID-19 |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1684118222000627 |
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