Burke A. Cunha, MD
Infectious Disease Division, Winthrop-University Hospital, Mineola, New York,and State University of New York School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York, USA

During the past decade, quinolones have been used extensively worldwide to treat a large variety of infectious diseases. In vitro, quinolones are highly active against all species of Legionella. Among antibiotics active against Legionella spp. in vitro, the quinolones are the most active antibiotic class. Currently, quinolones may be used for Legionella infections, including life-threatening legionnaires' disease occurring in normal/compromized hosts, e.g., organ transplants, etc.