Research that Begins with a Patient in Front of You: Legionella Bacteria in Puddles on Roads

Abstract

In this article, I would like to describe researches that begin with a patient transferred to an emergency department of a local hospital in a rainy season. A patient transported after a car accident turned out to have Legionnaires’ disease (LD). Although the causal relationship is unknown, Legionella genes were detected in the evaporator of the car driven by the patient. In the process of searching for the source of the infection, it was found that Legionella pneumophila prevalently exists in puddles on the road. Legionella bacteria can be detected in the water from rain, well, river, tap, puddle in Indonesia too. It should be recognized that Legionella pneumophila can be frequently exposed to in the daily living environment. The frequency of LD should be monitored in various regions, especially among patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia at the core hospitals.