Severe Pneumonia in Neonates Associated with <i>Legionella pneumophila</i>: Case Report and Review of the Literature

• Main Authors: Alba Perez Ortiz, Camilla Hahn, Thomas Schaible, Neysan Rafat, Bettina Lange
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-08-01
• Series: Pathogens
• Subjects: respiratory tract infection; pneumonia; <i>Legionella</i>; Legionnaires’ disease; nosocomial infection; neonate
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/10/8/1031

The causative agent of legionellosis is the Gram-negative intracellular bacteria <i>Legionella</i> spp. Its clinical presentation varies from a mild febrile illness called Pontiac fever to the severe and possible fatal pneumonia, Legionnaires’ disease. Immunocompromised patients, in particular, are affected. Only a small number of infected neonates are described in the literature. Most of them have been associated with water birth or the use of air humidifiers. In the last five years, a growing number of cases have been reported in Germany by the national institute of disease surveillance and prevention (Robert-Koch Institute). Here, we describe a fatal case report of pulmonary legionellosis with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), sepsis, associated cutaneous manifestation, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in a full-term neonate. Moreover, we present a review of the literature discussing the epidemiology, risk factors, clinical features, diagnostics, treatment options, and prevention for this rare condition in neonates.