Legionnaires' disease antigen detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method has been developed for the rapid detection of antigen from clinical specimens such as urine and sputum. Preliminary evidence suggests that the antigen is present and can be detected in the sputum and possibly urine of patients with Legionnaires' disease. Patients not harboring the Legionnaires' disease bacterium have been uniformly negative to date.