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LEGIONELLA - World Health Organization

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• detection of the bacterium in tissue or body fluids by immunofluorescent microscopy<br />

(e.g. direct immunofluorescence assay (DFA) testing)<br />

• detection of bacterial DNA using polymerase chain reaction (PCR).<br />

Table 11.1 compares the sensitivity, specificity and other characteristics of these methods.<br />

Use of culture or DFA techniques has decreased, and most cases of legionellosis are now<br />

identified through detection of urinary antigens. As a consequence of this shift, detection of<br />

L. pneumophila serogroup 1 is increasing, and all other serogroups are probably underdiagnosed.<br />

The highest number of cases of Legionnaires’ disease in travellers was reported by the European<br />

Surveillance Scheme for Travel Associated Legionnaires’ Disease in 1999. This reflects both<br />

greater surveillance and an increase in the use of urinary antigen for detecting L. pneumophila<br />

serogroup 1. Detection of urinary antigen was the most common method of detection (55% of<br />

cases; see Figure 11.1). The antigen detection test is substantially more sensitive for communityacquired<br />

and travel-associated Legionnaires’ disease than for nosocomial (health-care acquired)<br />

infection, because the tests are more sensitive for Pontiac L. pneumophila serogroup 1 than for<br />

non-Pontiac strains; the tests use monoclonal antibodies (MAb) MAb2 or Dresden MAb3/1.<br />

Pontiac strains cause the majority of community-acquired and travel-associated Legionnaires’<br />

disease cases, but are significantly less common in nosocomially acquired cases.<br />

F gure . Method of d agnos s of travel-assoc ated Leg onna res’ d sease n Europe<br />

and year of onset of d sease<br />

Method of diagnosis by year of onset of disease<br />

100% 800<br />

Proportion<br />

80%<br />

60%<br />

40%<br />

20%<br />

0%<br />

1987<br />

1988<br />

Source: Information obtained from the European Working Group for Legionella Infections (EWGLI) 25<br />

25 http://www.ewgli.org/<br />

1989<br />

1990<br />

1991<br />

1992<br />

1993<br />

1994<br />

1995<br />

1996<br />

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

1997<br />

1998<br />

1999<br />

2000<br />

2001<br />

2002<br />

Culture<br />

Serology (single high titre)<br />

Detection of urinary antigen Other<br />

Serology (fourfold rise) Number of clusters<br />

2003<br />

700<br />

600<br />

500<br />

400<br />

300<br />

200<br />

100<br />

0<br />

Number of clusters

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