RESUMEN
Between December 2009 and the end of January 2010, the largest hitherto known outbreak of Legionella in Germany took place in the cities of Ulm and Neu-Ulm. Of a total of 64 patients involved, 60 patients had to be hospitalized, and 5 patients died from the infection. This event was caused by a wet cooling tower of a large air conditioning system in the city center of Ulm. The search for the source of the Legionella emission was extremely difficult, since these plants are neither notifiable nor subject to authorization in Germany. We report about the search for the source and the measures to control the outbreak. We also discuss communication and coordination during these investigations. Regulatory measures as proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Network for Legionellosis (EWGLI) and already implemented in numerous other European countries would be desirable to prevent such outbreaks in the future.
Asunto(s)
Aire Acondicionado , Conducta Cooperativa , Brotes de Enfermedades/prevención & control , Comunicación Interdisciplinaria , Enfermedad de los Legionarios/prevención & control , Causas de Muerte , Análisis por Conglomerados , Control de Enfermedades Transmisibles/métodos , Trazado de Contacto , Notificación de Enfermedades , Alemania , Hospitales Universitarios , Humanos , Enfermedad de los Legionarios/mortalidad , Enfermedad de los Legionarios/transmisión , Tasa de Supervivencia , Microbiología del AguaRESUMEN
Currently an investigation is ongoing to explore and control an outbreak of Legionnaires disease, affecting 65 people as of 22 January 2010, in the cities of Ulm and Neu-Ulm, south-west Germany. A hitherto unidentified wet cooling system in these twin cities is considered as the most likely source of infection.