The Philadelphia epidemic of Legionnaire's disease: clinical, pulmonary, and serologic findings two years later.
Publication/Presentation Date
4-1-1979
Abstract
Clinical, pulmonary, and serologic findings in Legionnaires who attended the 1976 American Legion Convention in Philadelphia were studied 2 years after the Legionnaires' disease epidemic there. All 31 survivors of Legionnaires' disease studied became ill within 2 weeks after the convention, and 18 had not fully recovered 2 years after the epidemic. Twenty-five (28%) of 90 additional Legionnaires exposed at the convention but not diagnosed as having Legionnaires' disease became ill during the same time interval; five of these had symptoms during the next 2 years. Survivors had decreased diffusion capacities measured by the carbon monoxide single-breath method. These differences could not be accounted for by ventilation abnormalities or concurrent illness. Significant levels of IgG or IgM antibodies persisted in 94% of survivors of Legionnaires' disease and in 53% of Legionnaires exposed at the convention, which suggests a high prevalence of subclinical infection. Persistence of IgM antibody raises the question of latency or subclinical infection as part of the natural history of Legionnaires' disease.
Volume
90
Issue
4
First Page
522
Last Page
526
ISSN
0003-4819
Published In/Presented At
Lattimer, G. L., Rhodes, L. V., 3rd, Salventi, J. S., Galgon, J. P., Stonebraker, V., Boley, S., & Haas, G. (1979). The Philadelphia epidemic of Legionnaire's disease: clinical, pulmonary, and serologic findings two years later. Annals of internal medicine, 90(4), 522–526. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-90-4-522
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences
PubMedID
373542
Department(s)
Department of Medicine
Document Type
Article