Public Health Scotland
Highlights:
- Case numbers and incidence increased in 2023 with 54 cases, an incidence of 9.9 per million population. This continues an increasing trend in Legionnaires’ disease since 2021. The latest report from European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) describes increasing trends across European Union/European Economic Area countries to 2021
- This is the highest number of cases and incidence observed since 2012, with no outbreaks, common sources, exposures or links identified.
- Unlike previous years, most cases during 2023 were community-acquired (59.3%).
- Legionnaires’ disease cases peaked in quarter three (July to September) of 2023, driven mainly by community-acquired cases. The highest number of community-acquired cases during 2023 was recorded in quarter three.
- During 2023, 94.4% of cases were aged 40 years and older; comparable to the age distribution reported for Europe by ECDC in 2021, where 91% of Legionnaires’ disease cases were in those aged 45 years and older.
- In 2023, there were three reported deaths in Legionnaires’ disease cases equating to a case fatality rate (CFR) of 5.6%. In Europe, CFR for Legionnaires’ disease cases was reported to be 9% in 2021.






