Ahead of Print - National Surveillance of Legionnaires’ Disease, China, 2014–2016 - Volume 25, Number 6—June 2019 - Emerging Infectious Diseases journal - CDC

Ahead of Print - National Surveillance of Legionnaires’ Disease, China, 2014–2016 - Volume 25, Number 6—June 2019 - Emerging Infectious Diseases journal - CDC

Volume 25, Number 6—June 2019

Research Letter

National Surveillance of Legionnaires’ Disease, China, 2014–2016

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Tian Qin, Hongyu Ren, Dongke Chen, Haijian Zhou , Luxi Jiang, Duorong Wu, Jilu Shen, and Fengyan Pei

Author affiliations: Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China (T. Qin, H. Ren, H. Zhou, L. Jiang); State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, Beijing (T. Qin, H. Zhou); Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou, China (T. Qin, H. Zhou); Beijing Hospital, Beijing (D. Chen); Haikou People's Hospital, Haikou, China (D. Wu); The Fourth Affiliate Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China (J. Shen); Jinan Central Hospital, Jinan, China (F. Pei).

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Abstract

We report national surveillance of Legionnaires’ disease in China. Urine samples from 11 (3.85%) of 286 patients with severe pneumonia of unknown cause were positive for the Legionella pneumophilaserogroup 1 antigen. We isolated Legionella strains from 7 patients. Improved diagnostic testing is needed for this underestimated disease in China.

Legionnaires’ disease is a form of atypical pneumonia caused by bacteria of the genus Legionella. L. pneumophila serogroup 1 causes most Legionnaires’ disease (1). Although Legionnaires’ disease has been reported worldwide, only a few sporadic cases have been reported in China (2). Investigation of Legionellainfection is urgently needed in China to describe its prevalence and epidemiology.

During 2014–2016, we conducted surveillance of Legionnaires’ disease in 18 hospitals in China under the coordination of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC). The Ethical Committee of National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, China CDC (ICDC-2014009) provided ethical approval for this study. The distribution of the 18 hospitals accounted for all regions of China (Appendix Figure 1). The hospital's clinical diagnostic level, pneumonia pathogen detection level, and degree of cooperation with this investigation were also considered. All 18 hospitals are level 3 first-class general hospitals, representing the highest level of healthcare in their cities.