부산대학교 도서관

This chapter describes the family Legionellaceae, which includes the genera Legionella, Berkiella, Occultobacter, and Nucleophilum. Of these, members of the genus Legionella are predominant human pathogens. The chapter also analyzes the genus name, which was derived from the fact that the first recognized outbreak of infection due to these microorganisms affected members of the American Legion in 1976. This chapter also discusses pneumophila, which was the species designation for the first isolate given its predilection for pulmonary infection. L. pneumophila serogroup is a predominant pathogen in the family Legionellaceae, which accounts for 80% to 90% of cases of Legionnaires' disease (LD) worldwide.