%0 Journal Article
%T Two cases of severe pneumonia after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake
%A Toshihide Nakadate
%A Yutaka Nakamura
%A Kohei Yamauchii
%A Shigeatu Endo
%J Western Pacific Surveillance and Response
%D 2012
%I World Health Organization
%X In 2011, during the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, 90% of victims died from drowning. We report on two tsunami survivors with severe pneumonia potentially caused by Legionella pneumophila. Both victims aspirated a large quantity of contaminated water; sand, mud and a variety of microbes were thought to have entered into their lower respiratory tracts. One patient had a mycotic intracranial aneurysm; the other patient had co-infections with several organisms, including Scedosporium species. Although scedosporiosis is a relatively rare infectious disease, symptoms are progressive and prognosis is poor. These pathogens are not specific for tsunami lung, but are reported causative agents for pneumonia after near-drowning.
%K severe pneumonia
%K 2011 Great East Japan
%U http://ojs.wpro.who.int/ojs/index.php/wpsar/article/view/180/220