2023-06-05 18:52:21
The presence of bacteria of the genus Legionella in environments likely to infect certain people and cause sporadic cases of legionellosis or an outbreak constitutes a situation representing a real or apprehended threat to the health of the population.
Legionellosis, including Pontiac fever and Legionnaire’s disease, has been on the list of notifiable diseases (MADO) in Quebec since 1987. Physicians making a diagnosis of Legionellosis and laboratories that identify the bacteria Legionella are therefore required to report the case to the public health director (DSPu) of the region concerned. An epidemiological survey is carried out by professionals from the public health department (DSPublique) with each reported case of legionellosis. It aims to document risk factors and gather information on possible environmental exposures in the two to ten days preceding the onset of the disease. This investigation also makes it possible to determine whether there is a possible epidemiological link with other cases (cluster or outbreak) and to verify whether the disease is linked to exposure:
- Nosocomial or medical care (e.g. stay in a hospital or other care facility);
- Community (contracted in the daily environment or in a workplace);
- During a trip.
In 2016, the National Institute of Public Health of Quebec (INSPQ) published a scientific opinion on the Management of risks associated with the presence of Legionella bacteria spp. in the water networks of hospitals in Quebec (INSPQ, 2016). There is also a Intervention guide – Legionellosis (MSSS, 2015), intended for professionals in public health departments, which contains recommendations regarding the epidemiological investigation process and protective interventions during an outbreak of legionellosis.
The purpose of this document is to supplement the two existing documents and thus clarify certain elements for infection prevention and control (PCI) professionals in healthcare establishments, in particular hospitals and residential and long-term care centers (CHSLDs). ) and the clinicians who practice there, for the prevention and control of nosocomial legionellosis.
This document presents the clinical aspects and measures of PCI for the prevention of legionellosis in healthcare settings. It is supplemented by a second document entitled Prevention of nosocomial legionellosis: technical and environmental aspectsavailable online.
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