The Epidemiology of Legionnaires' Disease 



receive assisted ventilation, witli the attendant generation of aerosols; and other hospitalized 

 patients may be particularly susceptible to infection with the LDB. Until more data are available 

 to assess the risk of interpersonal spread of LD in the hospital, CDC recommends that patients 

 with documented cases of LD be placed in respiratory isolation until they respond to antibiotic 

 therapy. CDC further recommends that the nursing care for any patient with bacterial or viral 

 pneumonia include oral secretion precautions. Isolation of patients with pneumonia should be 

 limited to instances in which there is clinical or laboratory evidence of infection with certain 

 transmissible respiratory pathogens (see Isolation Techniques for Use in Hospitals, 2nd ed., 

 1975, HEW Pubhcation No. [CDC] 78-8314). 



In practice, most cases of LD are diagnosed retrospectively, and the issue of isolation does 

 not arise. 



SELECTED REFERENCES 



1. Broome. C.V., S.A.J. Goings, S.B. Thacker, R.L. Vogt, H.N. Beaty, and D.W. Fraser. 1979 The Vermont 

 Epidemic of Legionnaires" disease. Ann. Intern. Med. 90:573-577. 



2. Dondero, T.J., Jr., H.W. Clegg II, T.F. Tsai, R.M. Weeks, E. Duncan. J. Strickler, C. Chapman, G.F. Mallison, 

 B.D. Politi, M.E. Potter, and W. Schaffner 11. 1 979. Legionnaires' disease in Kingsport, Tennessee. Ann. Intern. 

 Med. 90:569-573. 



3. Fraser, D.W., T.F. Tsai, W. Orenstein. W.E. Parkin, H.J. Beecham, R.G. Sharrar, J. Harris, G.F. Mallison, S.M. 

 Martin, J.E. McDade, (^ £ . Shepard, P.S. Brachmaii, and the Field Investigation Team. 1977. Legionnaires" 

 disease: Description of an epidemic of pneumonia. N. Engl. J. Med. 297:1 189-1 196. 



4. Glick. T.H., M.B. Gregg, B. Berman, G. Mallison, W.W. Rhodes, Jr., and I. Kassanoff. 1978. Pontiac fever. An 

 epidemic of unknown etiology in a health department. I. Clinical and epidemiological aspects. Am. J. 

 Epidemiol. 107:149-160, 



5. Haley, C.E., M.L. Cohen, J. Halter, and R.D. Meyer. 1979. Nosocomial Legionnaires' disease: A continuing 

 common-source epidemic at Wadsworth Medical Center. Ann. Intern. Med. 90:583-586. 



6. Marks, J.S., T.F. Tsai, W. Martone, R. Baron, J. Kennicott, F. Holtzhauer, I. Baird, D. Faye, J. Feeley, G. 

 Mallison, D. Fraser, and T.J. Halpin. 1979. Nosocomial Legionnaires" disease in Columbus, Ohio. Ann. 

 Intern. Med. 90:565-569. 



7. Politi. B.D., D.W. Fraser, G.F. Mallison, J. Mohatt, G.K, Morris, CM. Patton, J.C. Feeley, R.D. Telle, and 

 J.V. Bennett. 1979. A major focus of Legionnaires' disease in Bloomington, Indiana. Ann. Intern. Med. 90: 

 587-591. 



8. Storch, G., W.B. Baine, D.W. Fraser, C.V. Broome, H.W. Clegg, II, M.L. Cohen, S.A.J. Goings, B.D. Politi, 

 W.A. Terranova, T.F. Tsai, B.D. Plikaytis, C.C. Shepard, and J.V. Bennett. 1979. Sporadic community- 

 acquired Legionnaires' disease in the United States: A case-control study. Ann. Intern. Med. 90:596-600. 



9. Terranova, W., M.L. Cohen, and D.W. Fraser. 1978. 1974 outbreak of Legionnaires" disease diagnosed in 

 1977: Clinical and epidemiological features. Lancet 2:122-124. 



10. Thacker, S.B., J.V. Bennett, T.F. Tsai, D.W. Fraser, J.E. McDade, Q.C. Shepard, K.H. WUliams. Jr., W.H. 

 Stuart, H.B. Dull, and T.C. Eickhoff. 1978. An outbreak in 1965 of severe respiraton' illness caused by the 

 Legionnaires' disease bacterium. J. Infect. Dis. 138:512-519. 



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