Legionnaires' disease outbreak in an automobile engine manufacturing plant

J Infect Dis. 2003 Mar 15;187(6):1015-8. doi: 10.1086/368171. Epub 2003 Feb 27.

Abstract

We investigated 4 cases of legionnaires' disease (LD) reported among workers at an Ohio automotive plant in March 2001. A "confirmed" case of LD was defined as x-ray-confirmed pneumonia and a confirmatory laboratory test. A "possible" case of LD was defined as elevated titers of antibody and respiratory symptoms. Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 (LP1) was isolated from 1 case patient. Legionella was isolated from 18 (9%) of 197 environmental samples; 3 isolates were LP1 but did not match the case isolate. We conducted a case-control study; 17 case patients with confirmed or possible LD and 86 control subjects (workers with low antibody titers and without symptoms) were enrolled. Visiting a specific cleaning line (odds ratio, [OR], 7.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.31-23.00) and working in the cleaning region of the plant (OR, 3.22; 95% CI, 1.11-9.38) were associated with LD. LD can be transmitted in industrial settings in which aerosols are produced. Clinicians should consider LD when treating persons from these settings for pneumonia.

MeSH terms

  • Aerosols
  • Automobiles
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Confidence Intervals
  • Disease Outbreaks*
  • Humans
  • Industry*
  • Legionella pneumophila*
  • Legionnaires' Disease / diagnosis
  • Legionnaires' Disease / epidemiology*
  • Occupational Diseases / diagnosis
  • Occupational Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Odds Ratio
  • Ohio / epidemiology
  • Risk Factors

Substances

  • Aerosols