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Investigation of Outbreaks: Epidemiology

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Legionella

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 954))

Abstract

Outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease create high levels of public anxiety and media interest and inevitably consume a great deal of public health resources. Investigations should begin as early as possible in order to rapidly identify suspected sources of infection, control the outbreak and prevent further cases occurring. The investigations should be coordinated by an outbreak control team who work collaboratively within local/national/international public health guidelines and with clear terms of reference. The actions carried out by epidemiologists when investigating community-, hospital-, or travel-associated outbreaks are comprehensively outlined in this chapter. The microbiological and environmental actions that complement this work are discussed in the accompanying chapters.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    1These outbreaks are rare in Europe and are mostly associated with Australia, New Zealand, and Japan and are due to L. longbeachae infection (17). Suspected cases should be asked about their use of potting mixes, exposure to dripping water from hanging pots, and eating or drinking after gardening and before washing hands.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Independent Consultant, Formally of the Health Intection Agency, 61 Colindate Avenue, London, NW9 SEQ, UK

    Carol Joseph

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  1. Carol Joseph
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Correspondence to Carol Joseph .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Biology of Intracellular Bacteria, Institut Pasteur, Rue du Dr. Roux 28, Paris, 75724, France

    Carmen Buchrieser

  2. Max von Pettenkofer Institute, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Pettenkoferstrasse 9a, Munich, 80336, Germany

    Hubert Hilbi

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Joseph, C. (2013). Investigation of Outbreaks: Epidemiology. In: Buchrieser, C., Hilbi, H. (eds) Legionella. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 954. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-161-5_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-161-5_4

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-62703-160-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-62703-161-5

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