The "New" Pneumonias: The Doctor's Dilemma

Editorials1 April 1980The "New" Pneumonias: The Doctor's DilemmaLOUIS WEINSTEIN, M.D., PH.D.LOUIS WEINSTEIN, M.D., PH.D.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-92-4-559 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptThe outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in Philadelphia in 1976 (1) and the definition of its epidemiology and etiologic agent,Legionella pneumophila, a gram-negative bacillus, have stimulated new interest in and study of several etiologically obscure infections that have usually presented as pneumonia but, in some instances, also as extrapulmonary syndromes. Some of these pneumonias have been considered "new," but it is becoming clear that most, if not all, of them have been known as clinical entities for many years. The truly new feature is identification of their specific etiologic agents, a group of gram-negative bacilli. This is exemplified by the...References1. BALOWS A and FRASER D eds. International symposium on Legionnaire's Disease. Ann Intern Med. 1979;90:491-703. Google Scholar2. DANIELS W and GRENNAN H. Pretibial fever—an obscure disease. JAMA. 1943;122:361-5. CrossrefGoogle Scholar3. TATLOCK H. A rickettsia-like organism recovered from guinea pigs. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1944;57:95-9. CrossrefGoogle Scholar4. BOZEMAN F, HUMPHRIES J, and CAMPBELL J. A new group of rickettsia-like agents recovered from guinea pigs. Acta Virol (Praha). 1968;12:87-93. MedlineGoogle Scholar5. CORDES L, WILKINSON H, GORMAN G, FIKES B, and FRASER D. Atypical Legionella-like organisms: fastidious water-associated bacteria pathogenic for man. Lancet. 1979;2:927-30. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. PASCULLE A, MYEROWITZ R, and RINALDO C. New bacterial agent of pneumonia isolated from renal-transplant recipients. 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The rickettsia-like organisms TATLOCK (1943) and HEBA (1959): bacteria phenotypically similar to but genetically distinct from Legionella pneumophila and the WIGA bacterium. Ann Intern Med. 1980;92:45-52. LinkGoogle Scholar12. HÉBERT G, THOMASON B, HARRIS P, HICKLIN M, and MCKINNEY R. "Pittsburgh pneumonia agent": a bacterium phenotypically similar to Legionella pneumophila and identical to the TATLOCK bacterium. Ann Intern Med. 1980;92:53-4. LinkGoogle Scholar13. THOMASON B, HARRIS P, HICKLIN M, BLACKMON J, MOSS C, and MATTHEWS F. A Legionella-like bacterium related to WIGA in a fatal case of pneumonia. Ann Intern Med. 1979;91:673-6. LinkGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: LOUIS WEINSTEIN, M.D., PH.D. 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BIOL.Legionella and the "New" PneumoniasG. ANN HÉBERT, B.S. 1 April 1980Volume 92, Issue 4Page: 559-561KeywordsBacillusInfectious disease epidemiologyLegionella pneumophilaLegionellosisPneumonia ePublished: 1 December 2008 Issue Published: 1 April 1980 PDF downloadLoading ...