Call for Enhanced Surveillance and Testing for Legionellosis in Passaic County and Bergen County

Published:
July 21, 2023

What You Need To Know

  • The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) is seeing an increase in the number of Legionellosis disease cases being reported in a geographic area which borders Passaic County and Bergen County.
  • Healthcare providers are being asked to have a high index of suspicion for Legionella when evaluating patients for community-acquired and healthcare-associated pneumonia, particularly if SARS-CoV-2 testing is negative.
  • NJDOH is requesting that lower respiratory specimens are collected and held for patients who test positive for Legionella by a urinary antigen test and who reside/work in or visited Passaic County or Bergen County.
Due to increased numbers in Passaic and Bergen County, NJDOH requests that lower respiratory specimens (sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage, tracheal aspirate, or lung tissue) are collected and held for patients who tested positive for Legionella by a urinary antigen test and who reside/work in or visited Passaic County or Bergen County. These respiratory specimens should ideally be obtained prior to antibiotic administration, but antibiotic treatment should not be delayed to facilitate this process (and culture can be attempted even after antibiotic therapy has been initiated).

For More Information

Please click here to view the document from the NJDOH: LINCS_PassaicBergenCo_21July202320232107