How do I know if I have pneumonia or Legionella?

The most commonly used laboratory test for diagnosis of Legionnaires’ disease is the urinary antigen test (UAT), which detects a molecule of the Legionella bacterium in urine. If the patient has pneumonia and the test is positive, then you should consider the patient to have Legionnaires’ disease.

What symptoms does Legionella cause?

Although Legionnaires’ disease primarily affects the lungs, it occasionally can cause infections in wounds and in other parts of the body, including the heart. A mild form of Legionnaires’ disease — known as Pontiac fever — can produce fever, chills, headache and muscle aches.

What bacteria causes Pontiac fever?

Legionella bacteria can cause a serious type of pneumonia (lung infection) called Legionnaires’ disease. Legionella bacteria can also cause a less serious illness called Pontiac fever.

Where is legionella commonly found?

Legionella exist naturally in water and moist soil. They have been found in creeks and ponds, hot and cold water taps, hot water tanks, water in air conditioning cooling towers and evaporative condensers, and soil at excavation sites.

What antibiotics treat legionella?

Medication Summary Mild Legionnaires disease can be treated with a single oral antibiotic regimen that have activity against legionella pneumophila including fluroquinolones such as levofloxacin, and moxifloxacin, macrolides like azithromycin, clarithromycin.

Where is Legionella commonly found?

Do landlords have to test for Legionella?

As a landlord you are not legally obliged to test for Legionella. ‘There is a legal duty for landlords to assess and control the risk of exposure to legionella bacteria, but Health and Safety law does not require landlords to produce or obtain, a ‘Legionnaires testing certificate’.

What does legionella bacteria look like?

Legionella may be visualized with a silver stain or cultured in cysteine-containing media such as buffered charcoal yeast extract agar. It is common in many environments, including soil and aquatic systems, with at least 50 species and 70 serogroups identified.

Can I get Legionnaires from my shower?

Legionella bacteria is dispersed in airborne water droplets, so the spray created by a shower is the perfect delivery mechanism. Anyone using a contaminated shower risks breathing in the bacteria and developing Legionnaires’ disease as the bug takes hold in the lungs.

How easy is it to get Legionnaires disease?

How you get Legionnaires’ disease. You can get Legionnaires’ disease if you breathe in tiny droplets of water containing bacteria that causes the infection. It’s usually caught in places like hotels, hospitals or offices where the bacteria have got into the water supply. It’s less common to catch it at home.

What are the symptoms of being exposed to Legionella?

People who get sick after being exposed to Legionella can develop two different illnesses, collectively known as legionellosis: Legionnaires’ disease and Pontiac fever. Legionnaires’ disease is very similar to other types of pneumonia (lung infection), with symptoms that include:

When do you know if you have Legionnaires disease?

Be sure to mention if you have used a hot tub, spent any nights away from home, or stayed in a hospital in the last two weeks. Legionnaires’ Disease Can Cause Pneumonia Symptoms Signs and symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease can include: ►Cough ►Muscle aches ►Fever

How is Pontiac fever different from Legionnaires disease?

Pontiac fever symptoms are primarily fever and muscle aches; it is a milder infection than Legionnaires’ disease. Symptoms begin between a few hours to 3 days after being exposed to the bacteria and usually last less than a week. Pontiac fever is different from Legionnaires’ disease because someone with Pontiac fever does not have pneumonia.

What does Legionnaires disease look like on a chest X-ray?

Legionnaires’ disease symptoms are similar to other types of pneumonia and it often looks the same on a chest x-ray. Legionnaires’ disease can also be associated with other symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, and confusion.