ABSTRACT
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) equipment can be colonised by Legionellae and might cause Legionella pneumonia in the user. However, there is no reported case of Legionella pneumonia related to CPAP equipment in which an identical Legionella was found in both the patient and the CPAP equipment. A 51-year-old man came to the Emergency Department with fever, confusion and dyspnoea that had been present for 3 days. His medical history included obstructive sleep apnoea, for which he had been using CPAP therapy at home for 10 weeks. The CPAP equipment showed signs of poor maintenance. Chest X-ray revealed a pulmonary consolidation. Laboratory investigation resulted in a positive urine antigen test for Legionella. Water from the CPAP equipment and sputum from the patient revealed Legionella pneumophila. Serotyping and sequence-based typing showed an identical L. pneumophila serotype 1 ST37. It is important to be aware that CPAP equipment can be colonised with Legionellae and might cause Legionella pneumonia. It is therefore necessary to ask about CPAP therapy in a patient with community-acquired pneumonia.
