Publications by authors named "Mark W Beale"
Lancet Infect Dis
July 2019
Article Synopsis
- Legionnaires' disease is often under-diagnosed due to inconsistent testing practices, prompting a national study in New Zealand to evaluate the effectiveness of routine PCR testing for detecting cases in hospitalized pneumonia patients.
- During the study from May 2015 to May 2016, 5622 respiratory specimens were tested, leading to the identification of 238 hospital cases, significantly increasing case detection three-fold compared to previous years.
- The findings revealed that Legionella longbeachae was the most common cause, indicating the importance of systematic testing for better understanding regional disease patterns and informing prevention strategies.
