You must be feeling overwhelmed with all that’s going around. COVID, influenza, monkeypox and now… Legionnaires? Educate yourself in less than 10 minutes and keep yourself away from sickness!
Legionnaires is an uncommon form of pneumonia or lung inflammation that’s caused by Legionella bacteria. It’s serious and can even be fatal. But the good news is that it is not contagious.
What causes Legionnaires?
Legionella bacteria come in a variety of forms. However, the two most frequent in Australia are Legionella pneumophila — found in water sources such as cooling towers, whirlpool spas, shower heads — and Legionella longbeachae, that can infect soil as well as potting soil.
The bacteria can spread at home, at work, or in public spaces. Occasionally, outbreaks are linked to contaminated cooling towers (that are part of air conditioning systems in large buildings). This means that the growth of germs is limited by regular inspections, disinfection, and maintenance of cooling towers and plumbing systems.
Who can be infected with Legionnaires?
As with many medical disease, people who are immunocompromised or have comorbidities are most at risk. For example, legionnaires disease primarily affects:
- middle-aged and older people
- smokers and people who have chronic lung disease
- cancer, kidney failure, diabetes, or HIV patients
What are the symptoms?
You usually become ill 2–10 days after contracting the disease. The symptoms are comparable to the flu, which includes:
- headache
- muscle pain
- chills
- fever
- feeling unwell
Other symptoms may appear within 2 or 3 days like:
- shortness of breath
- chest pain, nausea
- vomiting and diarrhoea
- coughing up mucus or blood
- mental changes and confusion
What can you do to prevent it?
Legionnaires’ disease can be avoided by thoroughly cleaning water systems such as:
- air conditioning units
- cooling towers
- pools
- spas
- showers
As there are two types of bacteria, using gloves and wearing masks while handling soil or potting mix is recommended. And of course washing your hands and keeping yourself clean after touching soil works too!
What is the treatment for it?
Antibiotics treatment can be a cure for the disease. But patients with serious infections may require treatment in an intensive care unit and the use of a ventilator to help them breathe.
If you think you’ve been exposed to Legionella bacteria and are suffering any of the symptoms listed above, seek professional medical assistance as soon as possible. Book an appointment with us by visiting this link.
For more information visit:
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/legionnaires-disease
https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/factsheets/Pages/legionnaires_disease.aspx
