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Legionnaire's Disease - Legionnaire's Disease symptom, treatment, causes

Legionnaire's Disease is a form of pneumonia caused by Legionella pneumophila or related organisms. The bacteria were discovered and the disease named after investigation into an outbreak of pneumonia at an American legion convention in Philadelphia in 1976. Legionella flourishes in warm, moist conditions, and the source of the first and subsequent out-breaks worldwide has been found to be water or air-conditioning systems in large public buildings. Elderly people are especially susceptible to infection by inhaling contaminated water droplets.

The incubation period is 2 to 10 days. Initial symptoms (headache, muscular aches and fever) resemble those of influenza, and are followed by high fever, difficult breathing, coughing, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, confusion and delirium.

Culture of sputum and blood tests for antibodies will confirm the diagnosis. Treatment (usually in hospital) is with antibiotics, orally in mild cases or intravenously when the pneumonia is more severe.

Legionnaire's disease is an acute respiratory infection caused by the bacterium Legionella pneumophila , which can cause a broad spectrum of disease from mild cough and fever to a serious pneumonia. The bacteria got its name in 1976, when many people who went to a Philadelphia convention of the American Legion suffered from an outbreak of this disease, a type of pneumonia (lung infection). Pontiac fever, a flu-like illness, is also caused by Legionella organisms (legionellae), but is not as serious as Legionnaires' disease. Most people who get Pontiac fever recover within five days, without having to be hospitalized. The bacteria live naturally in environmental water sources but if they get into water systems in buildings they can cause a risk to humans through air conditioning systems or through contaminated water systems used for showers etc. Control and prevention of the disease is through treatment of the source of infection i.e. the contaminated water systems.

Legionnaires' disease is an uncommon form of pneumonia that may have serious consequences for some people, elly peospeciaple in the older age groups. Outbreaks tend to occur in healthy people staying in hotels or other buildings in which the cooling systems or showers have become contaminated by Legionella germs. About three-quarters of all British cases occur as isolated instances rather than as epidemics . In most of these cases the source of the germs is not found. Most often, people develop Legionnaires' disease after they inhale bacteria now called legionella, which flourish in large air conditioning systems, showers, whirlpool spas and in some cases, potting soil. People over the age of 50 are more likely to develop Legionnaires' disease, which accounts for one to eight percent of all pneumonias in the United States. The populations at the highest risk are the elderly, smokers, and people whose immune system doesn't function normally. While it is less likely to occur in children, it can occur in newborns undergoing respiratory therapy, children with immune system problems, and children who have had recent operations.

Causes of Legionnaire's Disease

The common Causes of Legionnaire's Disease :

• Legionnaire's disease is caused by the bacterium Legionella pneumophilia .
• Smoking .
• Breathing dust from soil containing Legionella bacterium into the lungs
• Whirlpool spas and other warm-water baths,
• Breathing water vapor from a standing water source that contains Legionella bacterium into the lungs .
• Re-circulating water in air-conditioning and cooling systems,

Symptoms of Legionnaire's Disease

Some Symptoms of Legionnaire's Disease :

• Chest pain.
• Headache.
• Fever.
• Ataxia
• Joint pain.
• Chills .
• Malaise
• Loss of energy.
• Shortness of breath.
• Coughing of blood
• Diarrhea.

Treatment of Legionnaire's Disease

• Legionnaire's disease is usually treated with antibiotics.
• The sooner therapy is started, the less likely the chance of serious complications or death.
• Quinolones, macrolides (such as azithromycin, clarithromycin, or erythromycin), or tetracycline are commonly prescribed.
• Supportive treatment includes hospitalization for fluid and electrolyte replacement and oxygen administration by mask or by mechanical ventilation, if the respiratory system becomes severely compromised by the infection.
• Antibiotics that have been used successfully to combat Legionella include doxycycline, clarithromycin, fluorinated quinolones, and trimethoprim or sulfamethoxazole.