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{{short description|Form of atypical pneumonia}} | |||
'''Legionellosis''' is an infection caused by the ] ''Legionella pneumophila''. | |||
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}} | |||
{{Infobox medical condition (new) | |||
| name = Legionnaires' disease | |||
| image = PMC5258191 cureus-0008-00000000937-i01.png | |||
| caption = Chest X-ray of a severe case of legionellosis upon admission to the emergency department | |||
| field = ], ] | |||
| synonyms = Legionellosis,<ref name=pmid26231463/> legion fever | |||
| symptoms = Cough, ], ], ], headaches<ref name=CDC2016Sign/> | |||
| complications = | |||
| onset = 2–10 days after exposure<ref name=CDC2016Sign/> | |||
| duration = | |||
| types = | |||
| causes = ] of the '']'' type (spread by contaminated ])<ref name=CDC2016Start/><ref name=CDC2016Cau/> | |||
| risks = Older age, history of smoking, ], ]<ref name=CDC2016Risk/> | |||
| diagnosis = Urinary ], ]<ref name=CDC2016Diag/> | |||
| differential = | |||
| prevention = Good maintenance of ]<ref name=CDC2016Pre/> | |||
| treatment = ]s<ref name=CDC2016Tx/> | |||
| medication = | |||
| prognosis = 10% risk of death<ref name=CDC2016Tx/> | |||
| frequency = ~13,000 severe cases a year (US)<ref name=CDC2016Epi/> | |||
| deaths = | |||
}} | |||
<!-- Definition and symptoms --> | |||
'''Legionnaires' disease''' is a form of ] caused by any species of '']'' bacteria,<ref name=CDC2016Start>{{cite web |title=Legionella (Legionnaires' Disease and Pontiac Fever) About the Disease |url=https://www.cdc.gov/legionella/about/index.html |publisher=] (CDC) |access-date=21 March 2016 |date=26 January 2016|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325025955/http://www.cdc.gov/legionella/about/index.html |archive-date=25 March 2016 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> quite often '']''. Signs and symptoms include cough, ], high ], ], and headaches.<ref name=CDC2016Sign/> Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may also occur.<ref name=pmid26231463>{{cite journal |vauthors=Cunha BA, Burillo A, Bouza E |title=Legionnaires' disease |journal=Lancet |date=23 January 2016 |volume=387 |issue=10016 |pages=376–385 |pmid=26231463 |doi=10.1016/s0140-6736(15)60078-2|s2cid=28047369 }}</ref> This often begins 2–10 days after exposure.<ref name=CDC2016Sign>{{cite web |title=Legionella (Legionnaires' Disease and Pontiac Fever) Signs and Symptoms |url=https://www.cdc.gov/legionella/about/signs-symptoms.html |publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) |access-date=21 March 2016 |date=26 January 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312111315/http://www.cdc.gov/legionella/about/signs-symptoms.html |archive-date=12 March 2016 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> | |||
A '''legionellosis''' is any disease caused by ''Legionella'', including Legionnaires' disease (a pneumonia) and ] (a related upper respiratory tract infection),<ref>{{Cite book |title=Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine |date=2022 |publisher=McGraw Hill |isbn=978-1-264-26850-4 |edition=21st |location=New York |pages=1249}}</ref> but Legionnaires' disease is the most common, so mentions of legionellosis often refer to Legionnaires' disease. | |||
The disease has two distinct forms: | |||
* ''Legionnaires' disease'' is the name for the more severe form of infection which includes ], and | |||
* ''Pontiac fever'' is a ]er ] without pneumonia caused by the same bacterium | |||
<!-- Cause and diagnosis --> | |||
Legionnaires' disease acquired its name in ] when an ] of ] occurred among persons attending a convention of the ] in ]. | |||
The bacterium is found naturally in ].<ref name=CDC2016Cau/> It can contaminate hot water tanks, hot tubs, and ] of large ]s.<ref name=CDC2016Cau/> It is usually spread by breathing in mist that contains the bacteria.<ref name=CDC2016Cau/> It can also occur when contaminated water is ].<ref name=CDC2016Cau/> It typically does not spread directly between people, and most people who are exposed do not become infected.<ref name=CDC2016Cau>{{cite web |title=Legionella (Legionnaires' Disease and Pontiac Fever) Causes and Transmission |url=https://www.cdc.gov/legionella/about/causes-transmission.html |publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) |access-date=21 March 2016|date=9 March 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325023304/http://www.cdc.gov/legionella/about/causes-transmission.html |archive-date=25 March 2016 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> Risk factors for infection include older age, a history of smoking, ], and ].<ref name=CDC2016Risk>{{cite web |title=Legionella (Legionnaires' Disease and Pontiac Fever) People at Risk |url=https://www.cdc.gov/legionella/about/people-risk.html |publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) |access-date=21 March 2016|date=26 January 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160327031642/http://www.cdc.gov/legionella/about/people-risk.html |archive-date=27 March 2016 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Legionella: Causes, How it Spreads, and People at Increased Risk |publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) |date=30 April 2018 |url=https://www.cdc.gov/legionella/about/causes-transmission.html |access-date=17 September 2019}}</ref> Those with severe pneumonia and those with pneumonia and a recent travel history should be tested for the disease.<ref name=CDC2015SymP/> Diagnosis is by a urinary ] and ].<ref name=CDC2016Diag>{{cite web |title=Legionella (Legionnaires' Disease and Pontiac Fever) Diagnostic Testing |url=https://www.cdc.gov/legionella/clinicians/diagnostic-testing.html |publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) |access-date=21 March 2016 |date=3 November 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312051622/http://www.cdc.gov/legionella/clinicians/diagnostic-testing.html |archive-date=12 March 2016 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> | |||
Later, the bacterium causing the illness was named Legionella. | |||
<!-- Prevention, treatment, and prognosis --> | |||
On ], ] scientists identified a previously unknown ] as the cause of the mysterious "Legionnaire's disease." | |||
No ] is available.<ref name=CDC2016Pre/> Prevention depends on good maintenance of ].<ref name=CDC2016Pre>{{cite web |title=Legionella (Legionnaires' Disease and Pontiac Fever) Prevention |url=https://www.cdc.gov/legionella/about/prevention.html|publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) |access-date=21 March 2016 |date=26 January 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325013419/http://www.cdc.gov/legionella/about/prevention.html |archive-date=25 March 2016 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> Treatment of Legionnaires' disease is commonly conducted with ]s.<ref name=CDC2016Tx/> Recommended agents include ]s, ], or ].<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Mandell LA, Wunderink RG, Anzueto A, Bartlett JG, Campbell GD, Dean NC, Dowell SF, File TM, Musher DM, Niederman MS, Torres A, Whitney CG, ((Infectious Diseases Society of America)), ((American Thoracic Society)) |display-authors=3 |title=Infectious Diseases Society of America/American Thoracic Society consensus guidelines on the management of community-acquired pneumonia in adults |journal=Clinical Infectious Diseases |date=1 March 2007 |volume=44 |issue=Suppl 2 |pages=S27–72 |pmid=17278083 |doi=10.1086/511159|pmc=7107997 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Hospitalization is often required.<ref name=CDC2015SymP>{{cite web |title=Legionella (Legionnaires' Disease and Pontiac Fever) Clinical Features |url=https://www.cdc.gov/legionella/clinicians/clinical-features.html |publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) |access-date=21 March 2016 |date=28 October 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312132323/http://www.cdc.gov/legionella/clinicians/clinical-features.html |archive-date=12 March 2016 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> The fatality rate is around 10% for healthy persons and 25% for those with underlying conditions.<ref name=CDC2016Tx>{{cite web|title=Legionella (Legionnaires' Disease and Pontiac Fever) Treatment and Complications |url=https://www.cdc.gov/legionella/about/treatment-complications.html |publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) |access-date=21 March 2016 |date=26 January 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160329142031/http://www.cdc.gov/legionella/about/treatment-complications.html |archive-date=29 March 2016 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> | |||
<!-- Epidemiology, history, and society --> | |||
An estimated 8,000 to 18,000 people get Legionnaires' disease in the United States each year. | |||
The number of cases that occur globally is not known.<ref name=pmid26231463/> Legionnaires' disease is the cause of an estimated 2–9% of pneumonia cases that are acquired outside of a hospital.<ref name=pmid26231463/> An estimated 8,000 to 18,000 cases a year in the United States require hospitalization.<ref name=CDC2016Epi/> ]s of disease account for a minority of cases.<ref name=pmid26231463/><ref>{{cite web |title=Legionella (Legionnaires' Disease and Pontiac Fever) Prevention |url=https://www.cdc.gov/legionella/clinicians/prevention.html |publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) |access-date=21 March 2016 |date=28 October 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312042623/http://www.cdc.gov/legionella/clinicians/prevention.html |archive-date=12 March 2016 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> While it can occur any time of the year, it is more common in the summer and autumn.<ref name=CDC2016Epi>{{cite web |title=Legionella (Legionnaires' Disease and Pontiac Fever) History and Disease Patterns |url=https://www.cdc.gov/legionella/about/history.html |publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) |access-date=21 March 2016 |date=22 January 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325152025/http://www.cdc.gov/legionella/about/history.html |archive-date=25 March 2016 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> The disease is named after ], at a 1976 ] convention in ].<ref name=Leg2016CDC>{{cite web|title=Legionella (Legionnaires' Disease and Pontiac Fever) |url=https://www.cdc.gov/legionella/index.html |publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) |access-date=21 March 2016 |date=15 January 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322004038/http://www.cdc.gov/legionella/index.html |archive-date=22 March 2016 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> | |||
Some people can be infected with the Legionella bacterium and have mild symptoms or no illness at all. | |||
==Signs and symptoms== | |||
Outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease receive significant media attention. However, this disease usually occurs as a single, isolated case not associated with any recognized outbreak. | |||
The length of time between exposure to the bacteria and the appearance of symptoms (]) is generally 2–10 days, but can more rarely extend to as long as 20 days.<ref name="WHO 2007">{{cite book |title=Legionella and the prevention of legionellosis |year=2007 |publisher=] (WHO)|location=Geneva |isbn=978-9241562973 |hdl=10665/43233 |url=https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/43233/9241562978_eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |access-date=17 March 2024}}</ref> For the general population, among those exposed, between 0.1 and 5.0% develop the disease, while among those in hospital, between 0.4 and 14% develop the disease.<ref name="WHO 2007"/> | |||
When outbreaks do occur, they are usually recognized in the summer and early fall, but cases may occur year-round. | |||
About 5% to 30% of people who have Legionnaires' disease die. | |||
Those with Legionnaires' disease usually have fever, chills, and a cough, which may be dry or may produce ]. Almost all experience fever, while around half have cough with sputum, and one-third ]. Some also have muscle aches, ], tiredness, ], loss of coordination (]), chest pain, or ] and ].<ref name="pmid26231463" /> Up to half of those with Legionnaires' disease have gastrointestinal symptoms, and almost half have neurological symptoms,<ref name="WHO 2007"/> including confusion and impaired cognition.<ref>{{cite web | last=Edelstein |first=Paul H. |url=http://www.open-access-biology.com/legionella/edelstein.html |title=Legionnaires Disease: History and clinical findings |access-date=2010-06-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100608044408/http://www.open-access-biology.com/legionella/edelstein.html |archive-date=2010-06-08 |df=dmy-all |name-list-style=vanc }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Legionella: Molecular Microbiology |publisher=Caister Academic Press |veditors=Heuner K, Swanson M |date=March 2008 |isbn=978-1-904455-26-4 |chapter=Legionnaires' Disease: History and Clinical Findings |vauthors=Edelstein PH}}</ref> "Relative ]" may also be present, which is low to normal heart rate despite the presence of a fever.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Ostergaard L, Huniche B, Andersen PL |title=Relative bradycardia in infectious diseases |journal=J. Infect. |volume=33 |issue=3 |pages=185–191 |date=November 1996 |pmid=8945708 |doi=10.1016/S0163-4453(96)92225-2}}</ref> | |||
=== What are the usual symptoms of legionellosis? === | |||
Patients with Legionnaires' disease usually have fever, chills, and a cough, which may be dry or may produce sputum. | |||
Some patients also have muscle aches, headache, tiredness, loss of appetite, and, occasionally, diarrhea. Laboratory tests may show that these patients' kidneys are not functioning properly. | |||
Chest X-rays often show pneumonia. It is difficult to distinguish Legionnaires' disease from other types of pneumonia by symptoms alone; other tests are required for diagnosis. | |||
Laboratory tests may show that kidney functions, liver functions, and ] levels are abnormal, which may include ]. Chest X-rays often show pneumonia with ] in the bottom portion of both lungs. Distinguishing Legionnaires' disease from other types of pneumonia by symptoms or ] findings alone is difficult; other tests are required for definitive diagnosis.{{medical citation needed|date=September 2019}} | |||
Persons with Pontiac fever experience fever and muscle aches and do not have pneumonia. | |||
They generally recover in 2 to 5 days without treatment. | |||
People with Pontiac fever, a much milder illness caused by the same bacterium, experience fever and muscle aches without pneumonia. They generally recover in 2–5 days without treatment. For Pontiac fever, the time between exposure and symptoms is generally a few hours to two days.{{medical citation needed|date=September 2019}} | |||
==Cause== | |||
=== How is legionellosis diagnosed? === | |||
] image of ''L. pneumophila'', responsible for over 90% of Legionnaires' disease cases<ref>{{cite book |last=Mahon |first=Connie |title=Textbook of Diagnostic Microbiology |year=2014 |publisher=Elsevier Health Sciences |isbn=9780323292610 |page=416 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rdDsAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA416 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170908190335/https://books.google.com/books?id=rdDsAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA416 |archive-date=2017-09-08 |df=dmy-all |name-list-style=vanc}}</ref>]] | |||
The ] of legionellosis requires special tests not routinely performed on persons with fever or pneumonia. | |||
Over 90% of cases of Legionnaires' disease are caused by ''].'' Other types include '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']''.{{cn|date=March 2024}} | |||
Therefore, a physician must consider the possibility of legionellosis in order to obtain the right tests. | |||
===Transmission=== | |||
Several types of tests are available. | |||
Legionnaires' disease is usually spread by the breathing in of ] water or soil contaminated with the ''Legionella'' bacteria.<ref name="pmid26231463"/> Experts have stated that Legionnaires' disease is not transmitted from person to person.<ref>{{cite web |title=Legionella (Legionnaires' Disease and Pontiac Fever) |url=https://www.cdc.gov/legionella/fastfacts.html |publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) |access-date=10 February 2016 |date=22 January 2016|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201102630/http://www.cdc.gov/legionella/fastfacts.html |archive-date=1 February 2016 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> In 2014, one case of possible spread from someone sick to the caregiver occurred.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Probable Person-to-Person Transmission of Legionnaires' Disease |journal=New England Journal of Medicine |volume=374 |issue=5 |pages=497–498|date=23 January 2016 |df=dmy-all |doi=10.1056/NEJMc1505356 |pmid=26840151 |last1=Correia |first1=Ana M. |last2=Ferreira |first2=Joana S. |last3=Borges |first3=Vítor |last4=Nunes |first4=Alexandra |last5=Gomes |first5=Bernardo |last6=Capucho |first6=Rui |last7=Gonçalves |first7=Jorge |last8=Antunes |first8=Delfina M. |last9=Almeida |first9=Sónia |last10=Mendes |first10=Ana |last11=Guerreiro |first11=Marta |last12=Sampaio |first12=Daniel A. |last13=Vieira |first13=Luís |last14=Machado |first14=Jorge |last15=Simões |first15=Maria J. |last16=Gonçalves |first16=Paulo |last17=Gomes |first17=João P.|hdl=10400.18/3439 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> Rarely, it has been transmitted by direct contact between contaminated water and surgical wounds.<ref name="pmid26231463"/> The bacteria grow best at warm temperatures<ref name=CDC2016Cau/> and thrive at water temperatures between {{convert|25|and|45|C|F}}, with an optimum temperature of {{convert|35|°C|°F|abbr=on}}.<ref name="FieldsBenson2002"/> Temperatures above {{convert|60|C|abbr=on}} kill the bacteria.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires/things-to-consider.htm |title=HSE – Legionnaires' disease – Hot and cold water systems – Things to consider |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160329220207/http://www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires/things-to-consider.htm |archive-date=2016-03-29 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> Sources where temperatures allow the bacteria to thrive include hot water tanks, cooling towers, and evaporative condensers of large air conditioning systems, such as those commonly found in hotels and large office buildings.<ref name="van HeijnsbergenSchalk2015">{{cite journal |last1=van Heijnsbergen |first1=Eri |last2=Schalk |first2=Johanna A. C. |last3=Euser |first3=Sjoerd M. |last4=Brandsema |first4=Petra S. |last5=den Boer |first5=Jeroen W. |last6=de Roda Husman |first6=Ana Maria |title=Confirmed and Potential Sources of Legionella Reviewed |journal=Environmental Science & Technology |volume=49 |issue=8 |year=2015 |pages=4797–4815 |issn=0013-936X |doi=10.1021/acs.est.5b00142 |pmid=25774976 |bibcode=2015EnST...49.4797V|hdl=1874/329330 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> Pre-1988, ] still mandated a maximum hot water generation, storage and distribution temperature of {{convert|110|°F|°C|abbr=on}}, unknowingly, legionella bacteria's ideal breeding temperature.<ref name="PHCPPros">{{cite web |last1=George |first1=Ron |title=Code Classroom: Legionella Growth in Hot Water Systems |url=https://www.phcppros.com/articles/8259-legionella-growth-in-hot-water-systems |website=www.phcppros.com |publisher=PHCP Pros |access-date=16 March 2024 |date=October 5, 2018}}</ref> To minimize risks of bacterial growth, the ] 1988 ASHRAE Standard 188 and subsequent ASHRAE Guideline 12-2000 increased recommended hot water generation and storage temperatures to {{convert|135|-|140|°F|°C||abbr=on}} with minimum distribution temperatures of {{convert|124|°F|°C|abbr=on}}.<ref name="PHCPPros" /> | |||
The most useful tests detect the bacteria in sputum, find Legionella antigens in urine samples, or compare antibody levels to Legionella in two blood samples obtained 3 to 6 weeks apart. | |||
Though the first known outbreak was in Philadelphia, cases of legionellosis have occurred throughout the world.<ref name="WHO 2007"/> | |||
=== Who gets legionellosis? === | |||
People of any age may get Legionnaires' diasease, but the illness most often affects middle-aged and older persons, particularly those who smoke cigarettes or have chronic lung disease. | |||
Also at increased risk are persons whose immune system is suppressed by diseases such as cancer, kidney failure requiring dialysis, diabetes, or AIDS. Those that take drugs that suppress the immune system are also at higher risk. | |||
===Reservoirs=== | |||
Pontiac fever most commonly occurs in persons who are otherwise healthy. | |||
] |alt=A big glass jug filled with dirty yellow water in a display case]] | |||
''L. pneumophila'' thrives in aquatic systems, where it is established within amoebae in a ].<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Winiecka-Krusnell J, Linder E |title=Free-living amoebae protecting Legionella in water: The tip of an iceberg? |journal=Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases |volume=31 |issue=4 |pages=383–385 |year=1999 |pmid=10528878 |doi=10.1080/00365549950163833}}</ref> ''Legionella'' bacteria survive in water as intracellular parasites of water-dwelling protozoa, such as ]. Amoebae are often part of ], and once ''Legionella'' and infected amoebae are protected within a biofilm, they are particularly difficult to destroy.<ref name="pmid26231463"/> | |||
In the built environment, ] systems in office buildings, hotels, and hospitals are sources of contaminated water.<ref name="FieldsBenson2002"/> Other places the bacteria can dwell include ] used in industrial cooling systems, ]s, ]s, ], ], hot water systems, showers, windshield washers, fountains, room-air humidifiers, ice-making machines, and misting systems typically found in grocery-store produce sections.<ref name="pmid26231463"/><ref name="pmid1552203">{{cite journal |vauthors=Mahoney FJ, Hoge CW, Farley TA, Barbaree JM, Breiman RF, Benson RF, McFarland LM |title=Communitywide Outbreak of Legionnaires' Disease Associated with a Grocery Store Mist Machine |journal=Journal of Infectious Diseases |volume=165 |issue=4 |pages=736–739 |date=1 April 1992 |pmid=1552203 |doi=10.1093/infdis/165.4.xxxx}}</ref> | |||
=== Treatment of legionellosis === | |||
Erythromycin is the antibiotic currently recommended for treating persons with Legionnaires' disease. | |||
In severe cases, a second drug, rifampin, may be used in addition. | |||
Other drugs are available for patients unable to tolerate erythromycin. | |||
The bacteria may also be transmitted from contaminated aerosols generated in ]s if the disinfection and maintenance programs are not followed rigorously.<ref>''Silivanch v. Celebrity Cruises, Inc.'', 171 F.Supp.2d 241 (S.D.N.Y. 2001) (plaintiff successfully sued cruise line and manufacturer of filter after catching disease on cruise)</ref> Freshwater ponds, creeks, and ornamental fountains are potential sources of ''Legionella''.<ref name="Winn_b">{{cite book |vauthors=Winn WC |title=Baron's Medical Microbiology |chapter=Legionella |editor=Baron, S |display-editors=etal |edition=4th |publisher=Univ of Texas Medical Branch |year=1996 |isbn=978-0-9631172-1-2 |chapter-url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=mmed.section.2235 |pmid=21413250 }}</ref> The disease is particularly associated with hotels, fountains, ]s, and hospitals with complex potable water systems and cooling systems. Respiratory-care devices such as humidifiers and nebulizers used with contaminated tap water may contain ''Legionella'' species, so using sterile water is very important.<ref name=Woo92>{{cite journal |vauthors=Woo AH, Goetz A, Yu VL |title=Transmission of Legionella by respiratory equipment and aerosol generating devices |journal=Chest |volume=102 |issue=5 |pages=1586–1590 |date=November 1992 |pmid=1424896 |doi=10.1378/chest.102.5.1586}}</ref> Other sources include exposure to potting mix and compost.<ref name="pmid2036080">{{cite journal |vauthors=Cameron S, Roder D, Walker C, Feldheim J |title=Epidemiological characteristics of Legionella infection in South Australia: implications for disease control |journal=Australian and New Zealand Journal of Medicine |volume=21 |issue=1 |pages=65–70 |year=1991 |pmid=2036080 |doi= 10.1111/j.1445-5994.1991.tb03007.x}}</ref> | |||
Pontiac fever requires no specific ]. | |||
==Mechanism== | |||
=== How is legionellosis spread? === | |||
''Legionella'' spp. enter the lungs either by aspiration of contaminated water or inhalation of aerosolized contaminated water or soil. In the lung, the bacteria are ] by ]s, a type of ], inside of which the ''Legionella'' bacteria multiply, causing the death of the macrophage. Once the macrophage dies, the bacteria are released from the dead cell to infect other macrophages. Virulent strains of ''Legionella'' kill macrophages by blocking the fusion of ]s with ]s inside the host cell; normally, bacteria are contained inside the phagosome, which merges with a lysosome, allowing enzymes and other chemicals to break down the invading bacteria.<ref name="WHO 2007"/> | |||
Outbreaks of legionellosis have occurred after persons have breathed mists that come from a water source (e.g., air conditioning cooling towers, whirlpool spas, showers) contaminated with Legionella bacteria. | |||
Persons may be exposed to these mists in homes, workplaces, hospitals, or public places. | |||
Legionellosis is not passed from person to person, and there is no evidence of persons becoming infected from auto air conditioners or household window air-conditioning units. | |||
==Diagnosis== | |||
=== Where is the ''Legionella'' bacterium found? === | |||
] | |||
Legionella organisms can be found in many types of water systems. However, the bacteria reproduce to high numbers in warm, stagnant water (90°-105° F, 32°-40° C), such as that found in certain plumbing systems and hot water tanks, cooling towers and evaporative condensers of large air-conditioning systems, and whirlpool spas. | |||
People of any age may develop Legionnaires' disease, but the illness most often affects middle-aged and older people, particularly those who smoke cigarettes or have chronic lung disease. ] people are also at higher risk. Pontiac fever most commonly occurs in those who are otherwise healthy.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}} | |||
Cases of legionellosis have been identified throughout the United States and in several foreign countries. | |||
It is believed to occur worldwide. | |||
The most useful diagnostic tests detect the bacteria in ], find ''Legionella'' antigens in urine samples, or allow comparison of ''Legionella'' antibody levels in two blood samples taken 3–6 weeks apart. A urine antigen test is simple, quick, and very reliable, but only detects ''L. pneumophila'' serogroup 1, which accounts for 70% of disease caused by ''L. pneumophila'', which means use of the urine antigen test alone may miss as many as 30% of cases.<ref name="FieldsBenson2002">{{cite journal |last1=Fields |first1=B. S. |last2=Benson |first2=R. F. |last3=Besser |first3=R. E. |title=Legionella and Legionnaires' Disease: 25 Years of Investigation |journal=Clinical Microbiology Reviews |volume=15 |issue=3 |year=2002 |pages=506–526 |issn=0893-8512 |doi=10.1128/CMR.15.3.506-526.2002 |pmid=12097254 |pmc=118082}}</ref> This test was developed by Richard Kohler in 1982.<ref name="pmid7050258">{{cite journal |vauthors=Kohler R, Wheat LJ |title = Rapid diagnosis of pneumonia due to Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 |journal=J. Infect. Dis. |volume=146 |issue=3 |page=444 |date=September 1982 |pmid=7050258 |doi=10.1093/infdis/146.3.444}}</ref> When dealing with ''L. pneumophila'' serogroup 1, the urine antigen test is useful for early detection of Legionnaire's disease and initiation of treatment, and has been helpful in early detection of outbreaks. However, it does not identify the specific subtypes, so it cannot be used to match the person with the environmental source of infection. The ''Legionella'' bacteria can be cultured from sputum or other respiratory samples. ''Legionella'' spp. stain poorly with Gram stain, stain positive with silver, and are cultured on charcoal yeast extract with iron and cysteine (]).{{cn|date=March 2024}} | |||
=== What is being done to prevent legionellosis? === | |||
Improved design and maintenance of cooling towers and plumbing systems to limit the growth and spread of Legionella organisms are the foundations of legionellosis ]. | |||
A significant under-reporting problem occurs with legionellosis. Even in countries with effective health services and readily available diagnostic testing, about 90% of cases of Legionnaires' disease are missed. This is partly due to the disease being a relatively rare form of pneumonia, which many clinicians may not have encountered before, thus may misdiagnose. A further issue is that people with legionellosis can present with a wide range of symptoms, some of which (such as diarrhea) may distract clinicians from making a correct diagnosis.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Makin, T |title=Legionella bacteria and solar pre-heating of water for domestic purposes |journal=UK Water Regulations Advisory Scheme Report |page=4 |date=January 2008 |url=http://www.wras.co.uk/PDF_Files/Preheated_Water_Report.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305211608/https://www.wras.co.uk/PDF_Files/Preheated_Water_Report.pdf |archive-date=2016-03-05 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> | |||
During outbreaks, ] and health department investigators seek to identify the source of disease transmission and recommend appropriate prevention and control measures, such as decontamination of the water source. Current research will likely identify additional prevention strategies. | |||
==Prevention== | |||
=== World´s more important outbreaks === | |||
Although the risk of Legionnaires' disease being spread by large-scale water systems cannot be eliminated, it can be greatly reduced by writing and enforcing a highly detailed, systematic ] appropriate for the specific facility involved (office building, hospital, hotel, spa, cruise ship, etc.)<ref name="WHO 2007"/> Some of the elements that such a plan may include are: | |||
In ], ] an outbreak in the ] occurred during a flower exhibition in ]. 200 people became ill and at least 32 people died. | |||
* Keep water temperature either below or above the {{convert|20|-|55|C}} range in which the ''Legionella'' bacterium thrives.<ref name="WHO 2007"/><ref name="PHCPPros" /> | |||
Probably more people died, o.a. in the hospital of ] and were buried before Legionella infection was recognized. The source of the bacteria were probably a ] and a ] in the exhibition area. | |||
* Prevent ], for example, by removing from a network of pipes any sections that have no outlet (dead ends). Where stagnation is unavoidable, as when a wing of a hotel is closed for the off-season, remedial measures are recommended, e.g., maintaining elevated temperatures throughout the hot-water distribution system and periodic disinfection or permanent chlorination of cold-water systems.<ref name="WHO 2007"/> | |||
* Prevention of ] is crucial because once established they become more difficult to remove from piping systems. The likelihood of formation is increased by pipe scale and corrosion; warm water temperatures; stagnation and the quantity of nutrients that enter the system.<ref name="WHO 2007"/> | |||
* Periodically disinfect the system, by high heat or a chemical ], and use ] where appropriate. ] is likely more effective than free chlorine (]), being more resistant with residuals likely to persist to the point of delivery. Monochloramine is also more likely to penetrate legionella biofilms.<ref name="WHO 2007"/> Treatment of water with ] or ] may also be effective.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Almeida D, Cristovam E, Caldeira D, Ferreira JJ, Marques T |title=Are there effective interventions to prevent hospital-acquired Legionnaires' disease or to reduce environmental reservoirs of Legionella in hospitals? A systematic review |journal=American Journal of Infection Control |date=1 November 2016 |volume=44 |issue=11 |pages=e183–e188 |doi=10.1016/j.ajic.2016.06.018 |pmid=27524259}}</ref> | |||
* System design (or renovation) can reduce the production of aerosols and reduce human exposure to them, by directing them well away from building air intakes.{{cn|date=March 2024}} | |||
An effective water safety plan also covers such matters as training, record-keeping, communication among staff, contingency plans, and management responsibilities. The format and content of the plan may be prescribed by ] laws or regulations.<ref name= "WHO 2007"/> To inform the water safety plan, the undertaking of a site specific legionella risk assessment is often recommended in the first instance.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Organization|first=World Health|title=Legionella and the prevention of legionellosis|date=2007|publisher=Geneva|hdl=10665/43233|isbn=978-92-4-156297-3|language=en}}</ref> The legionella risk assessment identifies the hazards, the level of risk they pose and provides recommendations of control measures to put place within the overarching ]. | |||
The world's largest ] of legionnaries'disease happened in July, ], in ], ], with more than more than 800 affected patients and 6 dead ( so, at least 16000 was exposed to the bacteria) . The ] was localized in ''Morales Meseguer'' Hospital, according to the Murcian ] department. | |||
== |
==Treatment== | ||
Effective ]s include most ]s, ]s, ]s, and ].<ref name="pmid26231463"/> ''Legionella'' spp. multiply within the cell, so any effective treatment must have excellent intracellular penetration. Current treatments of choice are the respiratory tract quinolones (], ], ]) or newer macrolides (], ], ]). The antibiotics used most frequently have been levofloxacin, ], and azithromycin.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}} | |||
* http://www.repower.ch/INimg/Newsletter/legionella.jpg | |||
* http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38922000/jpg/_38922367_legionella203.jpg | |||
* http://www.microscopyconsulting.com/Gallery/images/Legionella%20pneumophila.jpg | |||
* http://www.chemistryquestion.com/images/Question/legionella.jpg | |||
* http://www.biotestusa.com/diagnostic/legionella.jpg | |||
Macrolides (azithromycin) are used in all age groups, while tetracyclines (doxycycline) are prescribed for children above the age of 12 and quinolones (levofloxacin) above the age of 18. ] can be used in combination with a quinolone or macrolide. Whether rifampicin is an effective antibiotic to take for treatment is uncertain. The ] does not recommend the use of rifampicin with added regimens. Tetracyclines and ] led to improved outcomes compared to other antibiotics in the original American Legion outbreak. These antibiotics are effective because they have excellent intracellular penetration in ''Legionella''-infected cells. The recommended treatment is 5–10 days of levofloxacin or 3–5 days of azithromycin, but in people who are immunocompromised, have severe disease, or other pre-existing health conditions, longer antibiotic use may be necessary.<ref name="pmid26231463"/> During outbreaks, prophylactic antibiotics have been used to prevent Legionnaires' disease in high-risk individuals who have possibly been exposed.<ref name="pmid26231463"/> | |||
The mortality at the original American Legion convention in 1976 was high (29 deaths in 182 infected individuals<ref name=Winn1988>{{cite journal |vauthors=Winn WC |title=Legionnaires disease: Historical perspective |journal=Clinical Microbiology Reviews |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=60–81 |year=1988 |pmid=3060246 |pmc=358030 |doi=10.1128/cmr.1.1.60}}</ref>) because the antibiotics used (including ]s, ]s, and ]s) had poor intracellular penetration. Mortality has plunged to less than 5% if therapy is started quickly. Delay in giving the appropriate antibiotic leads to higher mortality.{{medical citation needed|date=October 2019}} | |||
==Prognosis== | |||
The fatality rate of Legionnaires' disease has ranged from 5–30% during various outbreaks and approaches 50% for ], especially when treatment with antibiotics is delayed.<ref name="MedlinePlus"/> Hospital-acquired ''Legionella'' pneumonia has a fatality rate of 28%, and the principal source of infection in such cases is the ].<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Stout JE, Muder RR, Mietzner S, Wagener MM, Perri MB, DeRoos K, Goodrich D, Arnold W, Williamson T, Ruark O, Treadway C, Eckstein EC, Marshall D, Rafferty ME, Sarro K, Page J, Jenkins R, Oda G, Shimoda KJ, Zervos MJ, Bittner M, Camhi SL, Panwalker AP, Donskey CJ, Nguyen MH, Holodniy M, Yu VL |title=Role of environmental surveillance in determining the risk of hospital-acquired legionellosis: A national surveillance study with clinical correlations |journal=Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol |volume=28 |issue=7 |pages=818–824 |date=July 2007 |pmid=17564984 |doi=10.1086/518754 |s2cid=13774784 |url=http://www.legionella.org/EnvironSurv-Legionella_Stout_et_al-ICHE.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090124064049/http://legionella.org/EnvironSurv-Legionella_Stout_et_al-ICHE.pdf |archive-date=2009-01-24 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> | |||
==Epidemiology== | |||
{{See also|1976 Philadelphia Legionnaires' disease outbreak|List of Legionnaires' disease outbreaks}} | |||
Legionnaires' disease acquired its name in July 1976, when an outbreak of pneumonia occurred among people attending a convention of the ] at the ] in Philadelphia. Of the 182 reported cases, mostly men, 29 died.<ref name="Legionnaire disease">{{cite encyclopedia |title=Legionnaire disease |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/335050/Legionnaire-disease |encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Britannica |access-date=30 October 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101173341/https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/335050/Legionnaire-disease |archive-date=1 November 2013 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> On 18 January 1977, the causative agent was identified as a previously unknown strain of bacteria, subsequently named '']'', and the species that caused the outbreak was named '']''.<ref name="pmid373548">{{cite journal |vauthors=McDade JE, Brenner DJ, Bozeman FM |title=Legionnaires' disease bacterium isolated in 1947 |journal=Ann. Intern. Med. |volume=90 |issue=4 |pages=659–661 |year=1979 |pmid=373548 |doi=10.7326/0003-4819-90-4-659}}</ref><ref name="pmid335244">{{cite journal |vauthors=Fraser DW, Tsai TR, Orenstein W, Parkin WE, Beecham HJ, Sharrar RG, Harris J, Mallison GF, Martin SM, McDade JE, Shepard CC, Brachman PS |title=Legionnaires' disease: description of an epidemic of pneumonia |journal=N. Engl. J. Med. |volume=297 |issue=22 |pages=1189–1197 |year=1977 |pmid=335244 |doi=10.1056/NEJM197712012972201}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00045731.htm |title=From the January 18, 1977, special issue of {MMWR} Epidemiologic Notes and Reports Follow-up on Respiratory Illness – Philadelphia |website=www.cdc.gov |access-date=2020-01-18}}</ref> Following this discovery, unexplained outbreaks of severe respiratory disease from the 1950s were retrospectively attributed to ''Legionella''.<ref name=Winn1988/> Legionnaires' disease also became a prominent historical example of an ].<ref name=Macfarlane2012>{{cite journal |vauthors=Macfarlane JT, Worboys M |title=Showers, sweating and suing: Legionnaires' disease and 'new' infections in Britain, 1977–90 |journal=Medical History |volume=56 |issue=1 |pages=72–93 |date=2012 |pmid=23752984 |pmc=3314898 |doi=10.1017/S0025727300000284 |url=}}</ref> | |||
Outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease receive significant media attention, but this disease usually occurs in single, isolated cases not associated with any recognized outbreak. When outbreaks do occur, they are usually in the summer and early autumn, though cases may occur at any time of year. Most infections occur in those who are middle-aged or older.<ref name="MedlinePlus">{{cite web |title=Legionnaire disease |url=https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000616.htm |website=Medline Plus |publisher=US National Library of Medicine |access-date=5 August 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150705144153/http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000616.htm |archive-date=5 July 2015 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> National surveillance systems and research studies were established early, and in recent years,{{when|date=August 2015}} improved ascertainment and changes in clinical methods of diagnosis have contributed to an upsurge in reported cases in many countries. Environmental studies continue to identify novel sources of infection, leading to regular revisions of guidelines and regulations. About 8,000 to 18,000 cases of Legionnaires' disease occur each year in the United States, according to the Bureau of Communicable Disease Control.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/gov/departments/dph/http://cmr.asm.org/content/15/3/506 |title=Legionellosis |date=November 2011 |work=Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Communicable Disease Control |access-date=2012-11-12 |df=dmy-all }}{{Dead link|date=October 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> | |||
Between 1995 and 2005, over 32,000 cases of Legionnaires' disease and more than 600 outbreaks were reported to the ]. The data on ''Legionella'' are limited in developing countries, and ''Legionella''-related illnesses likely are underdiagnosed worldwide.<ref name="WHO 2007"/> Improvements in diagnosis and surveillance in developing countries would be expected to reveal far higher levels of morbidity and mortality than are currently recognised. Similarly, improved diagnosis of human illness related to ''Legionella'' species and serogroups other than ''Legionella pneumophila'' would improve knowledge about their incidence and spread.{{citation needed|date=September 2019}} | |||
A 2011 study successfully used modeling to predict the likely number of cases during Legionnaires' outbreaks based on symptom onset dates from past outbreaks. In this way, the eventual likely size of an outbreak can be predicted, enabling efficient and effective use of public-health resources in managing an outbreak.<ref name="pmid21242803">{{cite journal |vauthors=Egan JR, Hall IM, Lemon DJ, Leach S |title=Modeling Legionnaires' disease outbreaks: Estimating the timing of an aerosolized release using symptom-onset dates |journal=Epidemiology |volume=22 |issue=2 |pages=188–198 |date=March 2011 |pmid=21242803 |doi=10.1097/ede.0b013e31820937c6|s2cid=31632679 |doi-access=free }}</ref> | |||
During the ], some researchers and organisations raised concerns about the impact of the ] on Legionnaire's disease outbreaks.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Cassell |first1=Kelsie |last2=Davis |first2=J. Lucian |last3=Berkelman |first3=Ruth |title=Legionnaires' disease in the time of COVID-19 |journal=Pneumonia |date=January 2021 |volume=13 |issue=13 |page=2 |doi=10.1186/s41479-020-00080-5 |pmid=33407911 |pmc=7787226 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Legionnaires' disease: lockdown risks and reopening safely |url=https://www.cieh.org/media/4208/legionella-guidance-covid-19.pdf |website=cieh.org |publisher=Chartered Institute of Environmental Health |access-date=3 November 2022}}</ref> Additionally, at least two people in England died from a co-infection of ''Legionella'' and ].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Chalker |first1=Victoria J. |last2=Adler |first2=Hugh |last3=Ball |first3=Robert |last4=Naik |first4=Falguni |last5=Day |first5=Jessica |last6=Afshar |first6=Baharak |last7=Amin |first7=Amit K. |title=Fatal Co-infections with SARS-CoV-2 and ''Legionella pneumophila'', England |journal=Emerging Infectious Diseases |date=November 2021 |volume=27 |issue=11 |pages=2950–2952 |doi=10.3201/eid2711.204121 |pmid=34670660 |pmc=8544992 }}</ref> | |||
===Outbreaks=== | |||
<!-- Please only mention exceptional outbreaks here, either by number of casualties or by number of patients --> | |||
{{See also|List of Legionnaires' disease outbreaks}} | |||
An outbreak is defined as two or more cases where the onset of illness is closely linked in time (weeks rather than months) and space, where a suspicion or evidence exists of a common source of infection, with or without microbiological support (''i.e.'' common spatial location of cases from travel history).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Legionella Outbreak Toolbox|url=https://legionnaires.ecdc.europa.eu/?pid=205|access-date=2020-07-01|website=legionnaires.ecdc.europa.eu}}</ref> | |||
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repeat The first recognized cases of Legionnaires' disease occurred in 1976 in Philadelphia; among more than 2,000 attendees of an American Legion convention held at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel, 182 attendees contracted the disease and 29 of them died.<ref name="pmid26231463" /> | |||
--> | |||
* In April 1985, 175 people in ], were admitted to the District or Kingsmead Stafford Hospitals with chest infection or pneumonia. A total of 28 people died. Medical diagnosis showed that Legionnaires' disease was responsible and the immediate epidemiological investigation traced the source of the infection to the air-conditioning cooling tower on the roof of Stafford District Hospital.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=O'Mahony|first1=M. C.|last2=Stanwell-Smith|first2=R. E.|last3=Tillett|first3=H. E.|last4=Harper|first4=D.|last5=Hutchison|first5=J. G.|last6=Farrell|first6=I. D.|last7=Hutchinson|first7=D. N.|last8=Lee|first8=J. V.|last9=Dennis|first9=P. J.|last10=Duggal|first10=H. V.|date=June 1990|title=The Stafford outbreak of Legionnaires' disease|journal=Epidemiology and Infection|volume=104|issue=3|pages=361–380|doi=10.1017/s0950268800047385|issn=0950-2688|pmc=2271767|pmid=2347381}}</ref> | |||
* In March 1999, a ] in the ] occurred during the Westfriese Flora flower exhibition in ]; 318 people became ill and at least 32 people died. This was the second-deadliest outbreak since the 1976 outbreak and possibly the deadliest, as several people were buried before Legionnaires' disease had been diagnosed.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Boer|first1=Jeroen W. Den|last2=Yzerman|first2=Ed P. F.|last3=Schellekens|first3=Joop|last4=Lettinga|first4=Kamilla D.|last5=Boshuizen|first5=Hendriek C.|last6=Steenbergen|first6=Jim E. Van|last7=Bosman|first7=Arnold|last8=Hof|first8=Susan Van den|last9=Vliet|first9=Hans A. Van|last10=Peeters|first10=Marcel F.|last11=Ketel|first11=Ruud J. Van|title= A Large Outbreak of Legionnaires' Disease at a Flower Show, the Netherlands, 1999|journal=Emerging Infectious Diseases|volume=41|issue=2–3|pages=67–72|url=https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/8/1/01-0176_article|language=en-us|doi=10.3201/eid0801.010176|pmid=11799746|year=1999|pmc=2730281 |doi-access=free}}</ref> | |||
* The world's largest outbreak of Legionnaires' disease happened in July 2001, with people appearing at the hospital on 7 July, in ]. More than 800 suspected cases were recorded by the time the last case was treated on 22 July; 636–696 of these cases were estimated and 449 confirmed (so, at least 16,000 people were exposed to the bacterium) and six died, a case-fatality rate around 1%.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=García-Fulgueiras|first1=Ana|last2=Navarro|first2=Carmen|last3=Fenoll|first3=Daniel|last4=García|first4=José|last5=González-Diego|first5=Paulino|last6=Jiménez-Buñuales|first6=Teresa|last7=Rodriguez|first7=Miguel|last8=Lopez|first8=Rosa|last9=Pacheco|first9=Francisco|last10=Ruiz|first10=Joaquín|last11=Segovia|first11=Manuel|date=August 2003|title=Legionnaires' Disease Outbreak in Murcia, Spain|journal=Emerging Infectious Diseases|volume=9|issue=8|pages=915–921|doi=10.3201/eid0908.030337|issn=1080-6040|pmc=3020623|pmid=12967487}}</ref> | |||
* In September 2005, 127 residents of a nursing home in Canada became ill with ''L. pneumophila''. Within a week, 21 of the residents had died. Culture results at first were negative, which is not unusual, as ''L. pneumophila'' is a "fastidious" bacterium, meaning it requires specific nutrients, living conditions, or both to grow. The source of the outbreak was traced to the air-conditioning cooling towers on the nursing home's roof.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto-legionnaires-outbreak-linked-to-3-more-deaths-1.525458|title=CBC – Toronto legionnaires' outbreak linked to 3 more deaths |date=October 12, 2005 |access-date=2022-02-15 |language=en-us}}</ref> | |||
* In an outbreak in lower ], ], 180 people were affected with 13 resulting deaths due to contaminated water in a cooling tower.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dspq.qc.ca/legionellose.html|title=DRSP – Direction régionale de santé publique de la Capitale-Nationale|date=September 12, 2012|access-date=2013-08-30|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017100521/http://www.dspq.qc.ca/legionellose.html|archive-date=2012-10-17|language=fr}}</ref> | |||
* In November 2014, 302 people were hospitalized following an ], and seven related deaths were reported. All cases emerged in three civil parishes from the municipality of ] in the northern outskirts of ], and were treated in hospitals of the ]. The source is suspected to be located in the cooling towers of the ] plant ].<ref name="Expresso10112014">{{cite news |url=https://expresso.sapo.pt/surto-de-legionella-e-o-terceiro-maior-de-sempre-no-mundo-302-infetados-e-sete-mortos=f897829 |title=Surto de legionella é o terceiro maior de sempre no mundo: 302 infetados e sete mortos |last1=Arreigoso |first1=Vera Lúcia |publisher=Jornal Expresso |access-date=12 November 2014 |language=pt |name-list-style=vanc }}{{Dead link|date=October 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> | |||
* Twelve people were diagnosed with the disease in an outbreak in ]; the source was traced to contaminated cooling towers at a housing development.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-health-legionnaires-idUSKCN0Q328420150729|title=Legionnaires' disease kills two, sickens 31 in New York City |first=Katie |last=Reilly |date=29 July 2015 |publisher=Reuters |access-date=31 March 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409190721/http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-health-legionnaires-idUSKCN0Q328420150729 |archive-date=9 April 2016 |df=dmy-all |name-list-style=vanc}}</ref> In July and August 2015, another, unrelated outbreak in the Bronx killed 12 people and made about 120 people sick; the cases arose from a cooling tower on top of a hotel. At the end of September, another person died of the disease and 13 were sickened in yet another unrelated outbreak in the Bronx.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/01/nyregion/one-dead-in-new-bronx-outbreak-of-legionnaires-disease.html |title=One Dead in New Bronx Outbreak of Legionnaires' Disease |first=Benjamin |last=Mueller |date=30 September 2015 |work=]|access-date=31 March 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151004120331/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/01/nyregion/one-dead-in-new-bronx-outbreak-of-legionnaires-disease.html |archive-date=4 October 2015 |df=dmy-all |name-list-style=vanc}}</ref> The cooling towers from which the people were infected in the latter outbreak had been cleaned during the summer outbreak, raising concerns about how well the bacteria could be controlled.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/02/nyregion/legionnaires-bacteria-regrew-in-bronx-cooling-towers-that-were-disinfected.html |title=Legionnaires' Bacteria Regrew in Bronx Cooling Towers That Were Disinfected |access-date=2017-02-22 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170617132518/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/02/nyregion/legionnaires-bacteria-regrew-in-bronx-cooling-towers-that-were-disinfected.html |archive-date=2017-06-17 |df=dmy-all |newspaper=The New York Times |date=1 October 2015 |last1=Mueller |first1=Benjamin |name-list-style=vanc}}</ref> | |||
* {{Anchor|2015 San Quentin Legionnaires' disease outbreaks}}On 28 August 2015, an outbreak of Legionnaire's disease was detected at ] in Northern California; 81 people were sickened and the cause was sludge that had built up in cooling towers.<ref>{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |title=Officials track down source of Legionnaires' in Calif. prison |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/officials-find-source-of-legionnaires-outbreak-in-california-prison/ |work=CBS News |date=1 October 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171111151856/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/officials-find-source-of-legionnaires-outbreak-in-california-prison/ |archive-date=11 November 2017 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> | |||
* Between June 2015, and January 2016, 87 cases of Legionnaires' disease were reported by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for the city of ], and surrounding areas. The outbreak may have been linked to the ], in which the city's water source was changed to a cheaper and inadequately treated source. Ten of those cases were fatal.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/01/14/beleagured-flint-mich-sees-10-fatal-cases-of-legionnaires-disease-unclear-if-connected-to-water-supply/ |title=Flint, Mich., has 10 fatal cases of Legionnaires' disease; unclear if linked to water |first=Sarah |last=Kaplan |date=14 January 2016 |newspaper=] |access-date=31 March 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160328025124/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/01/14/beleagured-flint-mich-sees-10-fatal-cases-of-legionnaires-disease-unclear-if-connected-to-water-supply/ |archive-date=28 March 2016 |df=dmy-all |name-list-style=vanc}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=McFarland |first=Melanie |title=This is our "Chernobyl": Frontline's "Flint's Deadly Water" exposes shocking Legionnaires' crisis | website=Salon |date=10 September 2019 |url=https://www.salon.com/2019/09/10/this-is-our-chernobyl-frontlines-flints-deadly-water-exposes-shocking-legionnaires-crisis/ |access-date=17 September 2019 |quote=Meanwhile, the official count of Legionnaires' disease deaths remains at 12, with a reported 90 residents sickened by exposure to waterborne legionella bacteria during the year and a half that the city obtained its water from the Flint River. |name-list-style=vanc}}</ref> | |||
* In November 2017, an outbreak was detected at Hospital de São Francisco Xavier, Lisbon, Portugal, with up to 53 people being diagnosed with the disease and five of them dying from it.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://rr.sapo.pt/noticia/98404/legionella-numero-de-casos-sobe-para-53 |title=Legionella. Número de casos sobe para 53 – Renascença |last=Renascença |website=rr.sapo.pt|access-date=1 May 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180501201825/http://rr.sapo.pt/noticia/98404/legionella-numero-de-casos-sobe-para-53 |archive-date=1 May 2018 |df=dmy-all|date=15 November 2017 }}</ref> | |||
* In ], at the Illinois Veterans Home, a 2015 outbreak of the disease killed 12 people and sickened more than 50 others. It was believed to be caused by infected water supply. Three more cases were identified by November 2017.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://wqad.com/2017/11/29/third-case-of-legionnaires-reported-at-quincy-veterans-home/ |title=Third case of Legionnaires reported at Quincy veterans home |date=29 November 2017 |website=wqad.com |access-date=1 May 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171228171750/http://wqad.com/2017/11/29/third-case-of-legionnaires-reported-at-quincy-veterans-home/ |archive-date=28 December 2017 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> | |||
* In the autumn of 2017, 22 cases were reported in a Legionnaires' disease outbreak at ] in ]. It was believed to have been caused by a cooling tower that releases mist for the comfort of visitors. The contaminated droplets likely spread to the people in and beyond the park.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.foxnews.com/health/disneyland-tower-suggested-as-legionnaires-disease-source |title=Disneyland tower suggested as Legionnaires' disease source |date=2018-12-05 |website=Fox News |agency=Associated Press |access-date=2018-12-05 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> | |||
* In July 2019, 11 former guests of the Sheraton Atlanta hotel were diagnosed with the disease, with 55 additional probable cases.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/30/health/legionnaires-disease-atlanta-hotel-probable-cases/index.html |title=11 former guests of an Atlanta hotel now have Legionnaires' disease. Authorities have identified 55 more probable cases |last=Scutti |first=Susan |website=CNN |date=2019-07-30 |access-date=2019-07-30 |df=dmy-all |name-list-style=vanc}}</ref> | |||
* In September 2019, 141 visitors to the Western North Carolina Mountain State Fair were diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease, with four reported deaths, after a hot tub exhibit is suspected to have developed and spread the bacteria. At least one additional exposure apparently occurred during the Asheville Quilt Show that took place a few weeks after the fair in the same building where the hot tub exhibit was held. The building had been sanitized after the outbreak.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hot tub exhibit linked to 124 cases of Legionnaires' disease at NC Mountain State Fair |url=https://www.wral.com/hot-tub-exhibit-linked-to-124-cases-of-legionnaires-disease-at-nc-mountain-state-fair/18675245/ |website=WRAL.com |access-date=4 October 2019 |date=3 October 2019}}</ref><ref name="BUZZFEED">, Retrieved Oct. 29, 2019.</ref><ref name="CBS">, Retrieved Oct. 29, 2019.</ref><ref name="ACT">''Asheville Citizen Times'', "Legionnaires' case associated with Quilt Show at WNC Ag Center" by Elizabeth Anne Brown, October 17, 2019], Retrieved Oct. 29. 2019.</ref> | |||
* In December 2019, the ]'s Department of Health was notified of four cases of Legionnaires' disease. Those exposed had recently visited near Bali's Ramayana Resort and Spa in central Kuta.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ww2.health.wa.gov.au/Media-releases/2019/Legionnaires-disease-warning-for-Bali-travellers|title=Legionnaires' disease warning for Bali travellers|date=23 December 2019|website=ww2.health.wa.gov.au|access-date=2020-01-18}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/legionnaires-disease-warning-for-australians-who-have-visited-bali|title=Legionnaires' disease warning for Australians who have visited Bali|website=SBS News|language=en|access-date=2020-01-18}}</ref> | |||
* In February 2024, ] issued a news release stating that fourteen (14) cases were identified in Grand Rapids, Minnesota since April 2023 which they attributed to the municipal water supply.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.health.state.mn.us/news/pressrel/2024/legionnaires021224.html|title=Health officials identify source of Legionnaires' disease outbreak in Grand Rapids|date=12 February 2024|website=Minnesota Department of Health|access-date=2024-02-13}}</ref> | |||
* In January 2024, ] issued an alert for Legionnaires' disease for ]. As of 3rd January 2024, 7 known cases requiring hospitalization had been reported.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-04/nsw-legionnaires-disease-alert-cbd/103283644|title=Seven hospitalised after contracting Legionnaires' disease after visiting Sydney CBD|date=4 January 2024|website=www.abc.net.au|access-date=2024-01-04}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/news/Pages/20240103_01.aspx|title=Legionnaires' disease alert for Sydney CBD|website=NSW Health|language=en|access-date=2024-01-04}}</ref> | |||
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* In late July 2024 at least 22 people across Melbourne contracted legionnaires’ disease – and most of them admitted to hospital with “multiple admissions” to intensive care units due to “severe community acquired pneumonia”. Health authorities fear an outbreak may continue to spread. The health department has been investigating the cause of the outbreak, including by testing local cooling towers. | |||
There have been “multiple admissions” to intensive care units already due to “severe community acquired pneumonia” as a result of the outbreak | |||
second repeat ==Name== | |||
The disease is named after ], at a 1976 ] convention in ].<ref name=Leg2016CDC/> Journalists Paul Carpenter and Bob Dvorchak were responsible for coining the term 'Legionnaires disease'. Carpenter broke the original Legionnaires' disease story in 1976, and Dvorchak, who was the editor on the ] desk who handled Carpenter's story, first came up with the name.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Carpenter |first1=Paul |title=Gambling is good, except for the 'toxic' Internet type that offends Sheldon Adelson |url=https://www.mcall.com/opinion/mc-xpm-2013-11-21-mc-pc-gambling-is-good-20131121-story.html |date=21 November 2013 |website=] |access-date=11 September 2019 |name-list-style=vanc}}</ref> | |||
--> | |||
== References == | |||
{{reflist}} | |||
== External links == | == External links == | ||
{{Commons category}} | |||
*http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/legionellosis_t.htm | |||
* {{cite web | url = https://medlineplus.gov/legionnairesdisease.html | publisher = ] | department = ] | title = Legionnaires' Disease }} | |||
*http://www.osha.gov/dts/osta/otm/otm_iii/otm_iii_7.html | |||
*http://www.idph.state.il.us/public/hb/hblegion.htm | |||
{{Medical resources | |||
*http://www.astdhpphe.org/infect/legion.html | |||
| DiseasesDB = 7366 | |||
*. | |||
| ICD11 = {{ICD11|1C19}} | |||
*http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol9no8/03-0337.htm | |||
| ICD10 = {{ICD10|A|48|1|a|30}}, {{ICD10|A|48|2|a|30}} | |||
| ICD9 = {{ICD9|482.84}} | |||
| ICDO = | |||
| OMIM = | |||
| MedlinePlus = 000616 | |||
| eMedicineSubj = med | |||
| eMedicineTopic = 1273 | |||
| MeshID = D007876 | |||
| Orphanet=549 | |||
}} | |||
{{Bacterial diseases}} | |||
{{Legionnaires' disease}} | |||
{{Respiratory pathology}} | |||
{{Bioterrorism}} | |||
{{Portal bar | Medicine}} | |||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Legionnaires' Disease}} | |||
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Latest revision as of 18:48, 3 November 2024
Form of atypical pneumoniaMedical condition
Legionnaires' disease | |
---|---|
Other names | Legionellosis, legion fever |
Chest X-ray of a severe case of legionellosis upon admission to the emergency department | |
Specialty | Infectious disease, pulmonology |
Symptoms | Cough, shortness of breath, fever, muscle pains, headaches |
Usual onset | 2–10 days after exposure |
Causes | Bacteria of the Legionella type (spread by contaminated mist) |
Risk factors | Older age, history of smoking, chronic lung disease, poor immune function |
Diagnostic method | Urinary antigen test, sputum culture |
Prevention | Good maintenance of water systems |
Treatment | Antibiotics |
Prognosis | 10% risk of death |
Frequency | ~13,000 severe cases a year (US) |
Legionnaires' disease is a form of atypical pneumonia caused by any species of Legionella bacteria, quite often Legionella pneumophila. Signs and symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, high fever, muscle pains, and headaches. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may also occur. This often begins 2–10 days after exposure.
A legionellosis is any disease caused by Legionella, including Legionnaires' disease (a pneumonia) and Pontiac fever (a related upper respiratory tract infection), but Legionnaires' disease is the most common, so mentions of legionellosis often refer to Legionnaires' disease.
The bacterium is found naturally in fresh water. It can contaminate hot water tanks, hot tubs, and cooling towers of large air conditioners. It is usually spread by breathing in mist that contains the bacteria. It can also occur when contaminated water is aspirated. It typically does not spread directly between people, and most people who are exposed do not become infected. Risk factors for infection include older age, a history of smoking, chronic lung disease, and poor immune function. Those with severe pneumonia and those with pneumonia and a recent travel history should be tested for the disease. Diagnosis is by a urinary antigen test and sputum culture.
No vaccine is available. Prevention depends on good maintenance of water systems. Treatment of Legionnaires' disease is commonly conducted with antibiotics. Recommended agents include fluoroquinolones, azithromycin, or doxycycline. Hospitalization is often required. The fatality rate is around 10% for healthy persons and 25% for those with underlying conditions.
The number of cases that occur globally is not known. Legionnaires' disease is the cause of an estimated 2–9% of pneumonia cases that are acquired outside of a hospital. An estimated 8,000 to 18,000 cases a year in the United States require hospitalization. Outbreaks of disease account for a minority of cases. While it can occur any time of the year, it is more common in the summer and autumn. The disease is named after the outbreak where it was first identified, at a 1976 American Legion convention in Philadelphia.
Signs and symptoms
The length of time between exposure to the bacteria and the appearance of symptoms (incubation period) is generally 2–10 days, but can more rarely extend to as long as 20 days. For the general population, among those exposed, between 0.1 and 5.0% develop the disease, while among those in hospital, between 0.4 and 14% develop the disease.
Those with Legionnaires' disease usually have fever, chills, and a cough, which may be dry or may produce sputum. Almost all experience fever, while around half have cough with sputum, and one-third cough up blood or bloody sputum. Some also have muscle aches, headache, tiredness, loss of appetite, loss of coordination (ataxia), chest pain, or diarrhea and vomiting. Up to half of those with Legionnaires' disease have gastrointestinal symptoms, and almost half have neurological symptoms, including confusion and impaired cognition. "Relative bradycardia" may also be present, which is low to normal heart rate despite the presence of a fever.
Laboratory tests may show that kidney functions, liver functions, and electrolyte levels are abnormal, which may include low sodium in the blood. Chest X-rays often show pneumonia with consolidation in the bottom portion of both lungs. Distinguishing Legionnaires' disease from other types of pneumonia by symptoms or radiologic findings alone is difficult; other tests are required for definitive diagnosis.
People with Pontiac fever, a much milder illness caused by the same bacterium, experience fever and muscle aches without pneumonia. They generally recover in 2–5 days without treatment. For Pontiac fever, the time between exposure and symptoms is generally a few hours to two days.
Cause
Over 90% of cases of Legionnaires' disease are caused by Legionella pneumophila. Other types include L. longbeachae, L. feeleii, L. micdadei, and L. anisa.
Transmission
Legionnaires' disease is usually spread by the breathing in of aerosolized water or soil contaminated with the Legionella bacteria. Experts have stated that Legionnaires' disease is not transmitted from person to person. In 2014, one case of possible spread from someone sick to the caregiver occurred. Rarely, it has been transmitted by direct contact between contaminated water and surgical wounds. The bacteria grow best at warm temperatures and thrive at water temperatures between 25 and 45 °C (77 and 113 °F), with an optimum temperature of 35 °C (95 °F). Temperatures above 60 °C (140 °F) kill the bacteria. Sources where temperatures allow the bacteria to thrive include hot water tanks, cooling towers, and evaporative condensers of large air conditioning systems, such as those commonly found in hotels and large office buildings. Pre-1988, energy conservation programs from the late 1970s and early 1980s still mandated a maximum hot water generation, storage and distribution temperature of 110 °F (43 °C), unknowingly, legionella bacteria's ideal breeding temperature. To minimize risks of bacterial growth, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers' 1988 ASHRAE Standard 188 and subsequent ASHRAE Guideline 12-2000 increased recommended hot water generation and storage temperatures to 135–140 °F (57–60 °C) with minimum distribution temperatures of 124 °F (51 °C).
Though the first known outbreak was in Philadelphia, cases of legionellosis have occurred throughout the world.
Reservoirs
L. pneumophila thrives in aquatic systems, where it is established within amoebae in a symbiotic relationship. Legionella bacteria survive in water as intracellular parasites of water-dwelling protozoa, such as amoebae. Amoebae are often part of biofilms, and once Legionella and infected amoebae are protected within a biofilm, they are particularly difficult to destroy.
In the built environment, central air conditioning systems in office buildings, hotels, and hospitals are sources of contaminated water. Other places the bacteria can dwell include cooling towers used in industrial cooling systems, evaporative coolers, nebulizers, humidifiers, whirlpool spas, hot water systems, showers, windshield washers, fountains, room-air humidifiers, ice-making machines, and misting systems typically found in grocery-store produce sections.
The bacteria may also be transmitted from contaminated aerosols generated in hot tubs if the disinfection and maintenance programs are not followed rigorously. Freshwater ponds, creeks, and ornamental fountains are potential sources of Legionella. The disease is particularly associated with hotels, fountains, cruise ships, and hospitals with complex potable water systems and cooling systems. Respiratory-care devices such as humidifiers and nebulizers used with contaminated tap water may contain Legionella species, so using sterile water is very important. Other sources include exposure to potting mix and compost.
Mechanism
Legionella spp. enter the lungs either by aspiration of contaminated water or inhalation of aerosolized contaminated water or soil. In the lung, the bacteria are consumed by macrophages, a type of white blood cell, inside of which the Legionella bacteria multiply, causing the death of the macrophage. Once the macrophage dies, the bacteria are released from the dead cell to infect other macrophages. Virulent strains of Legionella kill macrophages by blocking the fusion of phagosomes with lysosomes inside the host cell; normally, bacteria are contained inside the phagosome, which merges with a lysosome, allowing enzymes and other chemicals to break down the invading bacteria.
Diagnosis
People of any age may develop Legionnaires' disease, but the illness most often affects middle-aged and older people, particularly those who smoke cigarettes or have chronic lung disease. Immunocompromised people are also at higher risk. Pontiac fever most commonly occurs in those who are otherwise healthy.
The most useful diagnostic tests detect the bacteria in coughed-up mucus, find Legionella antigens in urine samples, or allow comparison of Legionella antibody levels in two blood samples taken 3–6 weeks apart. A urine antigen test is simple, quick, and very reliable, but only detects L. pneumophila serogroup 1, which accounts for 70% of disease caused by L. pneumophila, which means use of the urine antigen test alone may miss as many as 30% of cases. This test was developed by Richard Kohler in 1982. When dealing with L. pneumophila serogroup 1, the urine antigen test is useful for early detection of Legionnaire's disease and initiation of treatment, and has been helpful in early detection of outbreaks. However, it does not identify the specific subtypes, so it cannot be used to match the person with the environmental source of infection. The Legionella bacteria can be cultured from sputum or other respiratory samples. Legionella spp. stain poorly with Gram stain, stain positive with silver, and are cultured on charcoal yeast extract with iron and cysteine (CYE agar).
A significant under-reporting problem occurs with legionellosis. Even in countries with effective health services and readily available diagnostic testing, about 90% of cases of Legionnaires' disease are missed. This is partly due to the disease being a relatively rare form of pneumonia, which many clinicians may not have encountered before, thus may misdiagnose. A further issue is that people with legionellosis can present with a wide range of symptoms, some of which (such as diarrhea) may distract clinicians from making a correct diagnosis.
Prevention
Although the risk of Legionnaires' disease being spread by large-scale water systems cannot be eliminated, it can be greatly reduced by writing and enforcing a highly detailed, systematic water safety plan appropriate for the specific facility involved (office building, hospital, hotel, spa, cruise ship, etc.) Some of the elements that such a plan may include are:
- Keep water temperature either below or above the 20–55 °C (68–131 °F) range in which the Legionella bacterium thrives.
- Prevent stagnation, for example, by removing from a network of pipes any sections that have no outlet (dead ends). Where stagnation is unavoidable, as when a wing of a hotel is closed for the off-season, remedial measures are recommended, e.g., maintaining elevated temperatures throughout the hot-water distribution system and periodic disinfection or permanent chlorination of cold-water systems.
- Prevention of biofilms is crucial because once established they become more difficult to remove from piping systems. The likelihood of formation is increased by pipe scale and corrosion; warm water temperatures; stagnation and the quantity of nutrients that enter the system.
- Periodically disinfect the system, by high heat or a chemical biocide, and use chlorination where appropriate. Monochloramine is likely more effective than free chlorine (sodium hypochlorite), being more resistant with residuals likely to persist to the point of delivery. Monochloramine is also more likely to penetrate legionella biofilms. Treatment of water with copper-silver ionization or ultraviolet light may also be effective.
- System design (or renovation) can reduce the production of aerosols and reduce human exposure to them, by directing them well away from building air intakes.
An effective water safety plan also covers such matters as training, record-keeping, communication among staff, contingency plans, and management responsibilities. The format and content of the plan may be prescribed by public health laws or regulations. To inform the water safety plan, the undertaking of a site specific legionella risk assessment is often recommended in the first instance. The legionella risk assessment identifies the hazards, the level of risk they pose and provides recommendations of control measures to put place within the overarching water safety plan.
Treatment
Effective antibiotics include most macrolides, tetracyclines, ketolides, and quinolones. Legionella spp. multiply within the cell, so any effective treatment must have excellent intracellular penetration. Current treatments of choice are the respiratory tract quinolones (levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, gemifloxacin) or newer macrolides (azithromycin, clarithromycin, roxithromycin). The antibiotics used most frequently have been levofloxacin, doxycycline, and azithromycin.
Macrolides (azithromycin) are used in all age groups, while tetracyclines (doxycycline) are prescribed for children above the age of 12 and quinolones (levofloxacin) above the age of 18. Rifampicin can be used in combination with a quinolone or macrolide. Whether rifampicin is an effective antibiotic to take for treatment is uncertain. The Infectious Diseases Society of America does not recommend the use of rifampicin with added regimens. Tetracyclines and erythromycin led to improved outcomes compared to other antibiotics in the original American Legion outbreak. These antibiotics are effective because they have excellent intracellular penetration in Legionella-infected cells. The recommended treatment is 5–10 days of levofloxacin or 3–5 days of azithromycin, but in people who are immunocompromised, have severe disease, or other pre-existing health conditions, longer antibiotic use may be necessary. During outbreaks, prophylactic antibiotics have been used to prevent Legionnaires' disease in high-risk individuals who have possibly been exposed.
The mortality at the original American Legion convention in 1976 was high (29 deaths in 182 infected individuals) because the antibiotics used (including penicillins, cephalosporins, and aminoglycosides) had poor intracellular penetration. Mortality has plunged to less than 5% if therapy is started quickly. Delay in giving the appropriate antibiotic leads to higher mortality.
Prognosis
The fatality rate of Legionnaires' disease has ranged from 5–30% during various outbreaks and approaches 50% for nosocomial infections, especially when treatment with antibiotics is delayed. Hospital-acquired Legionella pneumonia has a fatality rate of 28%, and the principal source of infection in such cases is the drinking-water distribution system.
Epidemiology
See also: 1976 Philadelphia Legionnaires' disease outbreak and List of Legionnaires' disease outbreaksLegionnaires' disease acquired its name in July 1976, when an outbreak of pneumonia occurred among people attending a convention of the American Legion at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia. Of the 182 reported cases, mostly men, 29 died. On 18 January 1977, the causative agent was identified as a previously unknown strain of bacteria, subsequently named Legionella, and the species that caused the outbreak was named Legionella pneumophila. Following this discovery, unexplained outbreaks of severe respiratory disease from the 1950s were retrospectively attributed to Legionella. Legionnaires' disease also became a prominent historical example of an emerging infectious disease.
Outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease receive significant media attention, but this disease usually occurs in single, isolated cases not associated with any recognized outbreak. When outbreaks do occur, they are usually in the summer and early autumn, though cases may occur at any time of year. Most infections occur in those who are middle-aged or older. National surveillance systems and research studies were established early, and in recent years, improved ascertainment and changes in clinical methods of diagnosis have contributed to an upsurge in reported cases in many countries. Environmental studies continue to identify novel sources of infection, leading to regular revisions of guidelines and regulations. About 8,000 to 18,000 cases of Legionnaires' disease occur each year in the United States, according to the Bureau of Communicable Disease Control.
Between 1995 and 2005, over 32,000 cases of Legionnaires' disease and more than 600 outbreaks were reported to the European Working Group for Legionella Infections. The data on Legionella are limited in developing countries, and Legionella-related illnesses likely are underdiagnosed worldwide. Improvements in diagnosis and surveillance in developing countries would be expected to reveal far higher levels of morbidity and mortality than are currently recognised. Similarly, improved diagnosis of human illness related to Legionella species and serogroups other than Legionella pneumophila would improve knowledge about their incidence and spread.
A 2011 study successfully used modeling to predict the likely number of cases during Legionnaires' outbreaks based on symptom onset dates from past outbreaks. In this way, the eventual likely size of an outbreak can be predicted, enabling efficient and effective use of public-health resources in managing an outbreak.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, some researchers and organisations raised concerns about the impact of the COVID-19 lockdowns on Legionnaire's disease outbreaks. Additionally, at least two people in England died from a co-infection of Legionella and SARS-CoV-2.
Outbreaks
See also: List of Legionnaires' disease outbreaksAn outbreak is defined as two or more cases where the onset of illness is closely linked in time (weeks rather than months) and space, where a suspicion or evidence exists of a common source of infection, with or without microbiological support (i.e. common spatial location of cases from travel history).
- In April 1985, 175 people in Stafford, England, were admitted to the District or Kingsmead Stafford Hospitals with chest infection or pneumonia. A total of 28 people died. Medical diagnosis showed that Legionnaires' disease was responsible and the immediate epidemiological investigation traced the source of the infection to the air-conditioning cooling tower on the roof of Stafford District Hospital.
- In March 1999, a large outbreak in the Netherlands occurred during the Westfriese Flora flower exhibition in Bovenkarspel; 318 people became ill and at least 32 people died. This was the second-deadliest outbreak since the 1976 outbreak and possibly the deadliest, as several people were buried before Legionnaires' disease had been diagnosed.
- The world's largest outbreak of Legionnaires' disease happened in July 2001, with people appearing at the hospital on 7 July, in Murcia, Spain. More than 800 suspected cases were recorded by the time the last case was treated on 22 July; 636–696 of these cases were estimated and 449 confirmed (so, at least 16,000 people were exposed to the bacterium) and six died, a case-fatality rate around 1%.
- In September 2005, 127 residents of a nursing home in Canada became ill with L. pneumophila. Within a week, 21 of the residents had died. Culture results at first were negative, which is not unusual, as L. pneumophila is a "fastidious" bacterium, meaning it requires specific nutrients, living conditions, or both to grow. The source of the outbreak was traced to the air-conditioning cooling towers on the nursing home's roof.
- In an outbreak in lower Quebec City, Canada, 180 people were affected with 13 resulting deaths due to contaminated water in a cooling tower.
- In November 2014, 302 people were hospitalized following an outbreak of legionellosis in Portugal, and seven related deaths were reported. All cases emerged in three civil parishes from the municipality of Vila Franca de Xira in the northern outskirts of Lisbon, and were treated in hospitals of the greater Lisbon area. The source is suspected to be located in the cooling towers of the fertilizer plant Fertibéria.
- Twelve people were diagnosed with the disease in an outbreak in the Bronx, New York, in December 2014; the source was traced to contaminated cooling towers at a housing development. In July and August 2015, another, unrelated outbreak in the Bronx killed 12 people and made about 120 people sick; the cases arose from a cooling tower on top of a hotel. At the end of September, another person died of the disease and 13 were sickened in yet another unrelated outbreak in the Bronx. The cooling towers from which the people were infected in the latter outbreak had been cleaned during the summer outbreak, raising concerns about how well the bacteria could be controlled.
- On 28 August 2015, an outbreak of Legionnaire's disease was detected at San Quentin State Prison in Northern California; 81 people were sickened and the cause was sludge that had built up in cooling towers.
- Between June 2015, and January 2016, 87 cases of Legionnaires' disease were reported by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for the city of Flint, Michigan, and surrounding areas. The outbreak may have been linked to the Flint water crisis, in which the city's water source was changed to a cheaper and inadequately treated source. Ten of those cases were fatal.
- In November 2017, an outbreak was detected at Hospital de São Francisco Xavier, Lisbon, Portugal, with up to 53 people being diagnosed with the disease and five of them dying from it.
- In Quincy, Illinois, at the Illinois Veterans Home, a 2015 outbreak of the disease killed 12 people and sickened more than 50 others. It was believed to be caused by infected water supply. Three more cases were identified by November 2017.
- In the autumn of 2017, 22 cases were reported in a Legionnaires' disease outbreak at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. It was believed to have been caused by a cooling tower that releases mist for the comfort of visitors. The contaminated droplets likely spread to the people in and beyond the park.
- In July 2019, 11 former guests of the Sheraton Atlanta hotel were diagnosed with the disease, with 55 additional probable cases.
- In September 2019, 141 visitors to the Western North Carolina Mountain State Fair were diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease, with four reported deaths, after a hot tub exhibit is suspected to have developed and spread the bacteria. At least one additional exposure apparently occurred during the Asheville Quilt Show that took place a few weeks after the fair in the same building where the hot tub exhibit was held. The building had been sanitized after the outbreak.
- In December 2019, the government of Western Australia's Department of Health was notified of four cases of Legionnaires' disease. Those exposed had recently visited near Bali's Ramayana Resort and Spa in central Kuta.
- In February 2024, Minnesota Department of Health issued a news release stating that fourteen (14) cases were identified in Grand Rapids, Minnesota since April 2023 which they attributed to the municipal water supply.
- In January 2024, NSW Health issued an alert for Legionnaires' disease for Sydney CBD. As of 3rd January 2024, 7 known cases requiring hospitalization had been reported.
References
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