Legionnaires' Disease Contracted from Patient Homes: The Coming of the Third Plague?
- Resource Type
- Article
- Authors
- Pedro-Botet, M. L.; Stout, J. E.; Yu, V. L.
- Source
- European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases; Oct2002, Vol. 21 Issue 10, p699-705, 7p
- Subject
- LEGIONNAIRES' disease
RESPIRATORY infections
PATIENTS
DEATH rate
COMMUNICABLE diseases
ANTIBIOTICS
- Language
- ISSN
- 09349723
The article presents information on Legionnaires' Disease contracted from patient homes. Legionnaire's disease has an image of being a plague with high patient mortality. It must be remembered that the original cases were skewed toward those with severe disease who did not receive appropriate antibiotics. In this millennium, mortality has plummeted with the increased index of suspicion by physicians and the advent of rapid laboratory diagnostic tests followed by earlier administration of more potent antibiotics.