Legionella pneumonia: increased risk after COVID-19 lockdown? Italy, May to June 2020
Claudia Palazzolo, Gaetano Maffongelli, Alessandra D’Abramo, Luciana Lepore, Andrea Mariano, Antonella Vulcano, Tommaso Ascoli Bartoli, Nazario Bevilacqua, Maria Letizia Giancola, Enrico Rosa, Emanuele Nicastri
Abstract
We report a case of Legionella pneumonia in a dishwasher of a restaurant in Rome, Italy, just after the end of the lockdown that was in place to control the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic. The case highlights the importance of strict monitoring of water and air systems immediately before reopening business or public sector buildings, and the need to consider Legionella infections among the differential diagnosis of respiratory infections after lockdown due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Topics & Concepts
LegionellaCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)PneumoniaPandemicSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)Medicine2019-20 coronavirus outbreakPublic healthEnvironmental healthIntensive care medicineVirologyEmergency medicineOutbreakInfectious disease (medical specialty)BiologyDiseaseInternal medicineBacteriaNursingGeneticsLegionella and Acanthamoeba researchLong-Term Effects of COVID-19COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies