Legionnaires' Disease

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Hi there!

You’re looking at a short reference article from Explain Medicine (one of four distinct learning formats available in Clinical Odyssey). Try it out, and have fun improving your clinical skills.

Medicine

Last updated on:
January 11^th, 2021

Medicine

Last updated on:
January 11^th, 2021

Hi there!

You’re looking at a short reference article from Explain Medicine (one of four distinct learning formats available in Clinical Odyssey). Try it out, and have fun improving your clinical skills.

Clinicals - History

Fact	Explanation
Introduction	Legionnaires' disease (LD), often referred to as legionellosis, is an infection caused by Legionella spp, most commonly L. pneumophila. These are gram-negative, aerobic, facultative intracellular bacilli found as free-living forms in freshwater and soil, or as intracellular parasites within protozoa.
Symptoms of pneumonia	These include fever, nonproductive cough, headache, myalgias, rigors, dyspnea, diarrhea, and delirium. Importantly, these findings are nonspecific, being shared with patients having other types of pneumonia.
Gastrointestinal symptoms	Between one-third to one-half of patients develop prominent gastrointestinal symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Environmental exposure	Legionella infection commonly occurs through exposure to contaminated water or soil following aerosolization of water particles containing the bacterium. Patients may have a history of exposure to water, such as may occur in periods of increased rainfall; or may work in a garden, for example. Alternately, the source may be a contaminated water supply or cooling system; these can be located in hotels, cruise ships, etc., leading to outbreaks of the disease.
Risk factors	Patients who smoke, suffer from lung disease, are diabetic or have other immunocompromising conditions are at increased risk. Studies also show that males over 55 have a higher chance of developing LD.

Introduction

Legionnaires' disease (LD), often referred to as legionellosis, is an infection caused by Legionella spp, most commonly L. pneumophila. These are gram-negative, aerobic, facultative intracellular bacilli found as free-living forms in freshwater and soil, or as intracellular parasites within protozoa.

Symptoms of pneumonia

These include fever, nonproductive cough, headache, myalgias, rigors, dyspnea, diarrhea, and delirium. Importantly, these findings are nonspecific, being shared with patients having other types of pneumonia.

Gastrointestinal symptoms

Between one-third to one-half of patients develop prominent gastrointestinal symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Environmental exposure

Legionella infection commonly occurs through exposure to contaminated water or soil following aerosolization of water particles containing the bacterium.

Patients may have a history of exposure to water, such as may occur in periods of increased rainfall; or may work in a garden, for example. Alternately, the source may be a contaminated water supply or cooling system; these can be located in hotels, cruise ships, etc., leading to outbreaks of the disease.

Risk factors

Patients who smoke, suffer from lung disease, are diabetic or have other immunocompromising conditions are at increased risk. Studies also show that males over 55 have a higher chance of developing LD.

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