Chapter 24 : Legionnaires’ Disease in Europe 1995-2004: A Ten-Year Review

Abstract:

The European surveillance scheme for travel-associated Legionnaires’ disease (EWGLINET) supports ongoing microbiological research and development for improved laboratory detection of clinical and environmental sources of infection using standardized methods within European countries. Adherence to the EWGLI guidelines, introduced in 2002, for control and prevention of travel-associated cases of Legionnaires’ disease is leading to greater protection of travelers in all European countries. This review covers EWGLINET’s role in the collection of national legionella data that enables trends over time at the aggregate level to be studied as well as historical trends within and between European countries. It covers the 10-year period 1995 to 2004 and mainly focuses on trends in aggregate data. The European data set from contributing countries between 1995 and 2004 is composed of 27,244 cases of Legionnaires’ disease. Community-acquired cases comprise the largest proportion of cases in Europe, at 38% overall, but vary from year to year depending on the number and size of reported outbreaks. This short review of surveillance data on cases of Legionnaires’ disease in Europe has mainly focused on descriptive aggregated data for the period 1995 to 2004. Major differences between countries in number of cases, category of exposure, number and range of outbreaks, and methods of diagnosis can only be highlighted rather than examined in depth. All countries with data in this review acknowledge the importance of international collaborations since these also benefit microbiological and epidemiological developments at the national level.