An outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease in a Swedish Hospital

• We report a nosocomial outbreak of Legionella pneumophila serogroup (sg) 1 infection at the general hospital, Värnamo, Sweden. From December 1990 to February 1991, 28 patients and 3 staff fell ill with pneumonia and 3 died. L. pneumophila sg 1 together with several other Legionellae were isolated from the hot water supply to 17 of 20 hospital wards, probably being spread by aerosolization via shower nozzles. Raising the hospital's hot water temperature from 45°C to 65°C, together with heat disinfection of the shower equipment, arrested the outbreak within a week. Keeping the hot water temperature < 60°C without chlorination eliminated L. pneumophila from < 75% of the wards. During a period of 2 years after the outbreak we have diagnosed only 1 case of nosocomial legionellosis at the hospital despite an active surveillance program.

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