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Legionnaires’ disease is a type of pneumonia caused by the Legionella bacterium, which can thrive in warm, moist environments such as air conditioning systems and hot tubs. Symptoms include fever, chills, body aches, and a chronic cough. The disease can be fatal if left untreated and cannot be transmitted from person to person. Antibiotic treatment is necessary to cure the disease.
Legionnaires’ disease is a type of pneumonia caused by a bacterium called Legionella. The bacterium was given this name due to an incident in 1976. This year, a Philadelphia convention hosted by the American Legion was marred by an outbreak of serious illness among its attendees.
The disease was later called Legionnaires’ disease, a disease whose symptoms include fever, chills, body aches and a chronic cough. Symptoms often appear within 14 to 14 days after exposure to the bacteria. As the disease progresses, victims may experience nausea, vomiting, chest pains, loss of appetite, and shortness of breath.
People get Legionnaires’ disease when they breathe moist air contaminated with the Legionella bacteria. Bacteria thrive in a warm, moist environment, including areas around air conditioning systems, hot tubs, or plumbing systems. Smokers and people aged 65 and older are at increased risk of developing this serious lung disease. In some cases, patients can die of Legionnaires’ disease if left untreated. This disease cannot be transmitted from person to person; it must be inhaled from the environment.
Legionella, the bacterium that causes Legionnaires’ disease, can also cause another medical condition called Pontiac fever. A mild flu-like illness, Pontiac disease usually goes away on its own without the use of antibiotics or other medical treatments. Conversely, those who develop more serous Legionnaires’ disease must receive antibiotics to be cured of this ailment. Treatment must start as soon as possible to risk serious complications or even death.
Several complications can arise from the disease caused by the Legionella bacterium. For example, some patients may experience respiratory failure, their lungs being unable to accept enough oxygen. Others may suffer from a sudden drop in blood pressure. To compensate for this, the heart tries to work harder but gets weaker in the process. Other patients may also experience renal failure.
The doctor will conduct a series of tests to determine if a patient has Legionnaires’ disease. Blood tests, CT scans, and sputum and lung tissue tests are typical tests the doctor will perform on a patient suspected of having this disease. The doctor may order a chest x-ray to determine if the patient has a lung infection. If it is determined that the patient has the disease, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics to treat it. Antibiotic treatment is necessary as patients can die if the bacteria are not eliminated from the patient’s body.
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