LEGIONELLA - World Health Organization

Taking France as an example, 807 cases of Legionnaires’ disease were notified by the French National
Public Health Centre in 2001. In 558 of these cases, predisposing factors included:
• cancer or blood disease (11%)
• immunosuppressant treatment (12%)
• diabetes (10%)
• smoking (40%).
In 2001, 14% of the cases (105 cases) stayed in a hospital or a clinic during the incubation
period, compared with 20% in 2000. An exposure to risk within the 10 days before the onset
of the disease was reported for 335 patients (42%) (see Table 1.7).
Table . R sk exposures among Leg onna res’ d sease declared cases n France, – 00
R sk exposures n =
0
% n =
0
000 00 00
% n =
0
% n =
0
Hosp tal 73 17 119 20 105 14 100 10
Hotel/camp s te 46 10 54 9 88 11 118 12
Thermal cure 7 1 6 1 7 1 9 1
Other health
nst tutes
5 1 6 1 9 1 6