06.12.2012 Views

LEGIONELLA - World Health Organization

LEGIONELLA - World Health Organization

LEGIONELLA - World Health Organization

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

Table . Reported outbreaks of Leg onna res’ d sease related to hot tubs between 00<br />

and 00<br />

Year Country/sett ng Cases Source Notes<br />

2002 Spain 2 H/CWS Spa centre<br />

2002 Spain 4 H/CWS Spa centre<br />

2002 Sweden 3 Hot tub Athletic club<br />

2002 Sweden 23 Hot tub Hotel<br />

2002 United Kingdom<br />

(England and Wales)<br />

3 Hot tub<br />

2002 Czech Republic 2 Hot tub Thermal water<br />

2002 Spain 5 Hot tub Sports centre<br />

2003 Cruise ship 7 Hot tub<br />

2003 England and Wales 20 Hot tub Hotel health club<br />

2003 Germany 7 Hot tub<br />

2003 Sweden 2 Hot tub Hotel<br />

2003 Spain 4 Not known An outbreak<br />

at a spa<br />

2004 Jersey 2 Hot tub Holiday apartments<br />

2004 Austria 3 Hot tub Trade fair<br />

H/CWS = hot/cold-water systems<br />

Source: European Working Group for Legionella Infections<br />

It is of some concern that hot tubs, particularly those intended for the domestic market, are<br />

commonly found on display at exhibitions and garden centres, where they have not been<br />

adequately treated. Just being in the vicinity of a hot tub on display has resulted in cases and<br />

deaths due to legionellosis. One of the largest ever outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease, with<br />

21 deaths, was caused by a hot tub on display at a flower show in the Netherlands in 1999<br />

(Den Boer et al., 2002). In the same year, a second outbreak (in Belgium) was linked to a hot<br />

tub on display at a fair (De Schrijver et al., 2000). An outbreak of Pseudomonas folliculitis,<br />

which occurred within two weeks of the installation of a domestic hot tub, was found to be<br />

due to the hot tub having been on display before purchase, without appropriate treatment.<br />

On investigation, the pool water yielded 8 × 10 4 – 5.5 × 10 5 CFU/100ml Ps. aeruginosa and<br />

2.9 x 10 5 CFU/litre L. pneumophila serogroups 2–14. Typing of the Ps. aeruginosa isolates<br />

from patients and pool showed they were indistinguishable.<br />

<strong>LEGIONELLA</strong> AND THE PREVENTION OF LEGIONELLOSIS

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!