Press Release

Case of Legionnaires' Disease under CHP investigation

11 December 2012

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (December 11) investigating a case of Legionnaires' Disease (LD) involving a 52-year-old man.

The patient with good past health presented with fever, cough and shortness of breath on December 5. He was admitted to a private hospital yesterday (December 10). The clinical diagnosis is pneumonia and he is currently in stable condition.

His urine sample tested positive for serogroup 1 Legionella pneumophilia antigen.

The patient has no recent travel history.

The investigation by the CHP is under way.

This is the 26th LD case reported to the CHP this year. Seventeen cases were filed in 2011, 20 in 2010 and 37 in 2009.

For more information on LD and corresponding preventive advice, the public may visit the website of the CHP (This link will open in a new windowwww.chp.gov.hk).