![]() Legionnaires' disease is diagnosed in the same way as other kinds of pneumonia. Your doctor may employ a test that tests your urine for legionella antigens — foreign chemicals that cause an immune system reaction — to help identify the presence of legionella bacteria rapidly. Other possible tests include:
Antibiotics are used to treat Legionnaires' disease. The sooner therapy begins, the less likely it is that major complications will arise. Treatment in many situations necessitates hospitalisation. Pontiac fever resolves on its own without treatment and has no lasting effects. Legionella is typically found in freshwater environments such as lakes, rivers, and streams. It can also live in the soil. However, most people do not receive Legionnaires' there. Warm water is ideal for Legionella growth. It frequently spreads via a building's polluted water supply.
Not everyone who inhales polluted air droplets becomes unwell. However, you are more likely to contract Legionnaires' disease if you:
Many people recover entirely with treatment, but the majority will require hospitalisation. Elderly people and those with serious health concerns are especially sensitive to Legionnaires' disease's impacts. They may be given oxygen or other breathing assistance while in the hospital. To treat dehydration, they may also be given fluids and electrolytes through a vein in their arm (IV). Legionella bacteria are naturally present in freshwater habitats. However, when bacteria develops and spreads in man-made water systems, it can make humans sick. Plumbing systems in large structures, such as hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, and cruise ships, fall under this category. Bacteria can then infect water sources including hot tubs, fountains, and air conditioning systems. Infections from Legionellosis occur when humans breathe in mist or small drops of water containing the bacterium. The microorganisms are not transmitted from person to person. A disease epidemic, on the other hand, might occur when a large number of people are exposed to the same polluted water supply. Legionnaires' disease is a more serious type of the illness that can lead to pneumonia. This version of the disease usually appears two to ten days after infection, but it can appear up to 16 days later. Legionnaires' disease was named following a pneumonia outbreak among attendees at the American Legion convention at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia in 1976. Legionella pneumophila was later named after the organism that caused the sickness. Other factors will be considered by doctors when attempting to establish a Legionnaires' disease diagnosis. People over the age of 45, those with underlying health issues, and heavy smokers are more prone to get the disease than the general population. Patients with underlying health conditions, those with a compromised immune system, including cancer patients, and persons who have had an organ transplant are more susceptible to Legionnaires' because to the anti-rejection medicines they are taking in a hospital setting. Patients who have recently returned from a cruise or other form of international vacation are also at greater risk, because the bacteria can grow in badly maintained water systems such as showers, spa pools, and air conditioning systems. Finally, if there have been previous incidences of the disease in the area, this may lead to a more evident diagnosis.
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