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No surge in Legionnaires' disease cases in Europe in 2013: ECDC report

Xinhua, April 9, 2015 Adjust font size:

There was no surge in Legionnaires' disease cases in Europe in 2013, according to the latest report from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) here on Wednesday.

The fifth annual report on Legionnaires' disease (LD) surveillance data for the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA) for 2013 showed that there were 5,851 cases reported, or 11.4 cases per million people, a figure that was "well within the range observed in the past five years."

The main characteristics of the cases reported in 2013 were very similar to those reported in previous years: most cases were sporadic and community-acquired, and the disease affected mostly older males. At 10 percent, the case-fatality ratio was also at the same level as observed in previous years.

According to the report, six countries, including France, Italy, Spain, Germany, the UK, and the Netherlands, have continuously reported the majority of LD cases (accounting for about 80 percent), but these countries only represent two-thirds of the EU-EEA population.

"Legionnaires' disease remains an important cause of potentially preventable morbidity and mortality in Europe. Priority should be given to assisting countries with notification rates below one per million inhabitants to improve clinical awareness, laboratory diagnosis and reporting of Legionnaires' disease," Birgitta de Jong, senior expert of respiratory diseases and group leader for EU preparedness at ECDC, told Xinhua.

Legionnaires' disease is a serious lung infection caused by Legionella bacteria. It's usually caught by inhaling small droplets of contaminated water. The infection isn't contagious and can't be spread directly from person to person.

The ECDC is an EU agency established in 2005 which aims to strengthen Europe's defenses against infectious diseases. Endit