Health and sanitation
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Legionella summary
The following statistics were presented at a recent Legionella Action Group( LAG) meeting.
By Nicole Wolter of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases( NICR)
Legionella statistics Data source *
• Sentinel sites * for Pneumonia surveillance( hospitalised patients) – identified by PCR- Jan to Dec 2015: 3 cases( 1 / 3 speciated – Legionella longbeachae)- Jan to Oct 2016: 6 cases( 0 / 6 speciated)
• Notified cases ** – identified by urinary antigen test / PCR- Jan to Dec 2015: 8 cases- Jan to Oct 2016: 21 cases( 4 / 21 culture-confirmed)
• Travel-associated cases – notified by ELDSnet- Jan to Dec 2015: 5 cases- Jan to Oct 2016: 2 cases
* Klerksdorp-Tshepong Hospital Complex, Edendale Hospital. ** Limited to laboratories performing UAT, predominantly Western Cape province.
Legionella cases notified to NICD by province, Jan – Oct 2016( n = 21)
Notes:
• Eastern Cape: four hospitals
• Free State: two hospitals
• Western Cape: eight hospitals.
Legionella cases notified to NICD by specimen type, laboratory and test, Jan – Oct 2016( n = 21)
Number of cases of legionella identified in South Africa by month, Jan – Oct 2016
Legionella cases notified to NICD by age group, Jan – Oct 2016( n = 21)
Conclusion There has been an improvement in notified cases( eight in 2015 to 21 in 2016) throughout three provinces.
Notes: Median age: 49 years( range 19 days to 69 years)
The organisation has received Case Investigation Forms( CIF) for 19 / 21 cases; some of the CIFs were incomplete or had limited information. Challenges are experienced in terms of receiving respiratory specimens for culture. PA
www. plumbingafrica. co. za February 2017 Volume 22 I Number 12