Legionella infections in cyclosporine-immunosuppressed cardiac transplants

Abstract

Pulmonary infections from bacterial or viral agents, as well as rare infectious agents, such as Toxoplasma gondii, Aspergillus, and Pneumocystis carinii, have been a bane to the clinician in charge of the care of transplant patients. One such opportunistic Organism, Legionella pneumophila, was responsible for four episodes of infection in three of our patients who survived due to better management of immunosuppression, together with aggressive therapy and early diagnosis of the infectious complications.