A Methodology for Classifying Root Causes of Outbreaks of Legionnaires' Disease: Deficiencies in Environmental Control and Water Management.

ABSTRACT: We piloted a methodology for collecting and interpreting root cause-or environmental deficiency (ED)-information from Legionnaires' disease (LD) outbreak investigation reports. The methodology included a classification framework to assess common failures observed in the implementation of water management programs (WMPs). We reviewed reports from fourteen CDC-led investigations between 1 January 2015 and 21 June 2019 to identify EDs associated with outbreaks of LD. We developed an abstraction guide to standardize data collection from outbreak reports and define relevant parameters. We categorized each ED according to three criteria: ED type, WMP-deficiency type, and source of deficiency. We calculated the prevalence of EDs among facilities and explored differences between facilities with an

SUBMITTER: Clopper BR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7824450 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature