Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo
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Rev. Inst. Med. Trop. Sao Paulo · Jan 1993
Case ReportsFive cases of nosocomial and community-acquired Legionnaires' disease in São Paulo, Brazil.
Legionella sp has been emerging over the last decade as an important cause of pneumonia both hospital and community-acquired. Following an outbreak in a Renal-Transplant Unit stocked serum was tested for antibodies against Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1, and 5 cases of Legionnaires' Disease were reviewed. ⋯ Clinical and laboratorial aspects were similar to those expected for other causes of pneumonia, however jaundice was encountered in two cases. This study suggests that the real incidence of pneumonia caused by Legionella sp is being underestimated and the authors emphasize the importance of considering Legionnaires' Disease when empirically treating community-acquired pneumonia.