In Michigan, both presentations of legionellosis, Pontiac Fever (PF) and Legionnaires’ Disease (LD), are reportable through the Michigan Disease Surveillance System (MDSS), a web-based electronic database. Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 is responsible for 5090% of cases.1,2 Several diagnostic tests are available with varying sensitivities and specificities. Urinary Antigen testing (UAg) is the most commonly used test but only reliably detects L. pneumophila-1. Culturing is the gold standard test but is limited by antibiotic interference, technical expertise, and time.3 The purpose of this study was to evaluate Michigan’s legionellosis surveillance system and to determine if diagnostic methods influenced case distribution.
Objective
To describe the strengths and weaknesses of Michigan’s legionellosis surveillance system and the influence of diagnostic methods on the temporal and geographic distribution of legionellosis cases in Michigan.