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Recommended precautions for patients with Legionnaires’ Disease

Abstract

As diagnostic techniques for the identification of Legionella species have become readily available, recognition of the pneumonic form of Legionellosis has increased. In particular, cases of hospital-acquired Legionella pneumophila are being identified and this has led to concern over possible person-to-person transmission. In most epidemiologic investigations where a source has been identified, water has been implicated. Person-to-person transmission has not been convincingly documented. Therefore, we discourage expensive or inconvenient special precautions for patients hospitalized with Legionnaires’ Disease. Rather, we recommend that such patients be placed in secretion precautions until effective antimicrobial therapy has eradicated the organism.

Jarvis WR

Infect Control 1982 Sep-Oct;3(5):401-2

PMID: 6922835