Legionnaires Disease - Symptoms and Treatment

Legionaires is caused by Legionella , a bacterium found primarily in warm water environments. Legionnaires' disease is a type of pneumonia. It was named after an outbreak of severe pneumonia which affected a meeting of the American Legion in 1976. It is an uncommon but serious disease. About half the cases of legionnaires' disease are caught abroad. The other half are the result of infections acquired in the UK. ), Legionnaires' disease is uncommon in younger people and is very uncommon under the age of 20. Legionnaires' disease does not spread from person to person.

Causes of Legionnaires

The germ which causes legionnaires' disease is a bacterium called Legionella pneumophila legionnaires' disease is widespread in nature. It mainly lives in water, and due to following chances they can enter in a person's body:

1) Inhaling airborne water droplets containing legionellae

2) Drinking legionellae-contaminated water

However, most people who are exposed to Legionella do not become ill.

Symptoms of Legionnaires

Follwoing are symptoms of legionnaires' disease, thses are similar to the symptoms of the flu:

1. high temperature, feverishness and chills;
2. cough;
3. muscle pains;
4. headache; and leading on to
5. pneumonia, very occasionally
6. diarrhoea and signs of mental confusion

Treatment of Legionnaires

Treatment of Legionnaires can be done through following measure:

The illness is treated with an antibiotic called erythromycin or a similar antibiotic like Azithromycin, antibiotics, have been effective, especially when cases are detected early.