Background: Pneumonia is a disease with great relevance in public health, as a leading individual cause of infant mortality worldwide. Legionellosis is a respiratory disease with a bacterial origin and two different clinical forms.
Aim: To determine pneumonia and legionellosis mortality in Spain.
Material and methods: Time series study of pneumonia and legionellosis in Spain in two periods, from 1997 to 2001 and from 2011 to 2015. Mortality was calculated according to disease and sex, number of deaths and rates per 100,000 inhabitants.
Results: Pneumonia mortality in the first period shows a relatively stable and similar tendency according to sex, preferably affecting males. In the second period, pneumonia mortality increased significantly in recent years. Although pneumonia mortality in Spain decreased in both sexes in some age groups (especially < 5 years), it remained relatively stable in patients aged > 75 years. Deaths due to legionellosis were relevant in 1997, 1998 and 2000 and increased in the last period.
Conclusions: A higher mortality due to pneumonia along the years was identified. Strategies to reduce the incidence and improve the diagnosis of pneumonia, especially in children and older people elderly, are encouraged.