Did you know the incidence of reported U.S. Legionnaires’ disease cases grew by nearly 9 times from 2000 to 2018? Nearly 10,000 cases were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2018—the most cases ever reported. However, even this high number is likely an underestimate since many cases do not get recognized or diagnosed. Since more cases of Legionnaires’ disease are typically reported in the summer months, now is the time to make sure you have the latest information on diagnosing and preventing this disease, which is fatal for about 10% of those who get it.

Clinicians, healthcare facility leadership, public health officials, and building owners can all play a role in protecting people from Legionnaires’ disease, caused by Legionella bacteria. Clinicians are in a unique position to make sure cases are detected, allowing rapid investigation by public health officials and prevention of additional cases.

In this archived webinar, Chris Edens, Legionella Epidemiologist in CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, provided an overview of Legionnaires’ disease in the United States and steps that can be taken to identify cases, collect needed specimens, and reduce the risk for Legionella exposure through water management programs.

 

By the end of this archived webinar, participants will be able to:

 

Chris Edens, PhD, Epidemiologist, Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 

• Watch the archived webinar below or access it on the TRAIN Learning Network (1091886) if you would like to keep a record of completion in your TRAIN learning transcript
• Download the presentation slides
• Read the answers to questions asked by participants during the live webinar