Event Details

This Microbiology Rounds will provide an overview of the transmission, environmental sources, risk factors, clinical manifestations, epidemiology, and burden of legionellosis, with a focus on current trends in Ontario. Participants will review available laboratory diagnostic methods, including culture, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and urine antigen testing (UAT), and discuss their strengths, limitations, and appropriate clinical application. The session will also highlight upcoming changes to Public Health Ontario's Legionella UAT testing criteria and discuss how these updates may inform diagnostic decision-making and case detection.

Intended Audience
Emergency medicine physicians, infectious diseases physicians, internists, respirologists, infection prevention and control (IPAC) professionals, Medical Officers of Health (MOHs) and Associate Medical Officers of Health (AMOHs), public health physicians, epidemiologists, medical and clinical microbiologists, laboratory professionals, public health professionals, and other healthcare professionals involved in the diagnosis, investigation, surveillance, and management of legionellosis.

By the end of this event, participants will be able to:

• Summarize key features of legionellosis, including transmission, risk factors, environmental sources, and clinical manifestations.
• Describe the current epidemiology and burden of legionellosis in Ontario. 
• Identify available diagnostic testing modalities for Legionella infection and their appropriate clinical application.
• Apply Public Health Ontario's updated Legionella urine antigen test (UAT) testing criteria in their public health practice.

Dr. Austin Zygmunt, MSc, MD, CCFP, FRCPC is a Public Health Physician in Communicable Disease Control at Public Health Ontario. His portfolio includes environmentally acquired infections, including legionellosis, where he provides scientific, technical, and medical expertise to public health partners. His work supports legionellosis surveillance, outbreak investigation, public health guidance, and preparedness and response activities across Ontario.

Dr. Joseph Zeppa, PhD, FCCM is a Clinical Microbiologist at Public Health Ontario, specializing in reference bacterial identification, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and respiratory bacteriology, including legionellosis. He earned his PhD from Western University, where he studied Group A Streptococcus, and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Toronto, focusing on Mycobacterium tuberculosis and pathogenic Neisseria species. Dr. Zeppa recently completed Clinical Microbiology residency training at the University of Toronto and is committed to advancing laboratory diagnostics and improving patient care through clinical and public health microbiology.

The opinions expressed by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies or views of Public Health Ontario, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by Public Health Ontario.

Public Health Ontario Rounds are a self-approved group learning activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification Program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC).

Other colleges, including the College of Family Physicians of Canada, Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario and the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors, may accept RCPSC accredited events on a per-hour basis. Please contact your relevant college should you have any questions.

In order to receive written documentation for Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits, please check "Yes" beside the question "Do you require CME credits?" on the registration form.

For more information or for a record of registration for other Continuing Education purposes, please contact capacitybuilding@oahpp.ca.

Public Health Ontario is committed to complying with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). If you require accommodations to participate in this event, please contact 647-260-7100 or capacitybuilding@oahpp.ca.