Two cases of severe pneumonia after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

Authors

  • Toshihide Nakadate Department of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Iwate Medical University, Uchimar 19-1, Morioka, Iwate, Japan.
  • Yutaka Nakamura
  • Kohei Yamauchii
  • Shigeatu Endo

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5365/wpsar.2012.3.2.002

Abstract

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.

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How to Cite

1.
Nakadate T, Nakamura Y, Yamauchii K, Endo S. Two cases of severe pneumonia after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Western Pac Surveill Response J [Internet]. 2013 May 30 [cited 2026 Apr. 2];3(4). Available from: https://ojs.wpro.who.int/ojs/index.php/wpsar/article/view/180

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 4 (2012): October – December

Section

Other topic - Case Report

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