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Fatal Nosocomial Legionella pneumophila Infection Due to Exposure to Contaminated Water From a Washbasin in a Hematology Unit

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Alexandre Brûlet ,
Marie-Christine Nicolle ,
Marine Giard ,
Franck-Emmanuel Nicolini ,
Mauricette Michallet ,
Sophie Jarraud ,
Jérôme Etienne  and
Philippe Vanhems
Alexandre Brûlet
Affiliation:
Service d'Hygiène, Epidémiologie et Prévention, France
Marie-Christine Nicolle
Affiliation:
Service d'Hygiène, Epidémiologie et Prévention, France
Marine Giard
Affiliation:
Service d'Hygiène, Epidémiologie et Prévention, France
Franck-Emmanuel Nicolini
Affiliation:
Service d'Hématologie, France
Mauricette Michallet
Affiliation:
Service d'Hématologie, France
Sophie Jarraud
Affiliation:
Hôpital Edouard Herriot, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, and the Centre National de Référence des Légionelles, Groupe Hospitalier Est, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Bron, France
Jérôme Etienne
Affiliation:
Hôpital Edouard Herriot, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, and the Centre National de Référence des Légionelles, Groupe Hospitalier Est, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Bron, France
Philippe Vanhems*
Affiliation:
Service d'Hygiène, Epidémiologie et Prévention, France
*
Département d'Hygiène Hospitalière, Epidémiologie et Prévention, Hôpital Edouard Herriot, 5 place d'Arsonval, 69437 Lyon cedex 03, France (philippe.vanhems@chu-lyon.fr)
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Abstract

A fatal nosocomial infection with Legionella pneumophila serogroup 5 occurred in a patient with leukemia. Isolates recovered from both the potable water supply and the patient showed an identical genomic profile. With no other exposure identified, the water from the washbasin was evidently the source of infection.

Type
Concise Communication
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 29 , Issue 11 , November 2008 , pp. 1091 - 1093
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2008

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