Legionnaires Causes, Symptoms, Prevention, And Treatment

Legionnaires: Legionella bacteria cause Legionnaires' disease, a lung infection. It makes you sick with a high fever, cough, upset stomach, and confusion. One can catch Legionnaires' disease by breathing in tiny water droplets with the bacteria or getting contaminated water into your lungs.

What is Legionnaires Disease?

What is the Difference Between Pneumonia and Legionnaires' Disease?

Symptoms of Legionnaires

• Fever (often exceeding 104°F/40°C)
• Dry cough
• Shortness of breath (dyspnea)
• Diarrhea
• Muscle aches
• Headache
• Nausea
• Confusion
• Coughing up blood (hemoptysis)
• Stomach (abdominal) pain

Causes of  Legionnaires

• Cooling towers and evaporative condensers
• Hot water tanks and heaters
• Hot tubs
• Decorative fountains
• Showerheads and sink faucets
• Supermarket produce misters
• Humidifiers

Risk Factors of the Legionnaires

• Adults aged 50 and older.
• Current or former smokers.
• There are individuals with chronic lung conditions like emphysema or COPD.
• Individuals with weakened immune systems due to conditions such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes, kidney failure, or those taking immune-suppressing medications like chemotherapy or transplant recipients are at risk.
• Pontiac fever and Legionnaires' disease cannot spread from one person to another.

Diagnosis of Legionnaires

• Urine or sputum tests: The healthcare provider will ask you to provide a urine sample or cough up mucus into a tube. The healthcare provider then tests these samples to detect the presence of Legionella bacteria, thereby confirming the diagnosis of Legionnaires' disease.

• Blood tests: A needle will draw a blood sample from your arm. This blood sample is analyzed for antibodies your immune system produces in response to a Legionella infection. Additionally, blood tests can check how well your organs function and provide information for monitoring your overall health during the illness.

• Imaging (chest X-ray or CT scan): The imaging techniques allow your healthcare provider to visualize the internal structures of your lungs. They will look for abnormalities, such as inflammation or pneumonia, which are typical features of Legionnaires' disease.

• Bronchoscopy: This procedure involves inserting a thin, flexible tube (bronchoscope) with a light and camera through your mouth or nose and into your lungs. This lets your provider directly visualize the airways and collect lung tissue or fluid samples for testing.

• Thoracentesis: If fluid builds up around your lungs (pleural effusion), your provider may perform a thoracentesis. During this procedure, your provider inserts a needle through the chest wall into the pleural space to drain the fluid. The collected fluid is then tested for Legionella bacteria, aiding in diagnosing Legionnaires' disease and guiding treatment decisions.

Treatment of  Legionnaires

• Azithromycin is an antibiotic that stops bacterial growth and helps your body fight off infection.
• Doctors frequently prescribe Levofloxacin, Moxifloxacin, or Ciprofloxacin to fight the infection.
• Tetracycline, Doxycycline, or Minocycline medicines work by interfering with the bacteria's ability to produce proteins necessary for survival.
• Rifampin works by inhibiting bacterial RNA synthesis, ultimately leading to bacterial death.

Complications of Legionnaires

• Respiratory failure: When your lungs can't get enough oxygen into your blood, you might need a machine to help you breathe (mechanical ventilation).
• Acute kidney injury (AKI): If your kidneys stop working, waste can build up in your blood. Treatment might involve medications or a machine to filter your blood (dialysis).
• Encephalopathy: This can cause confusion, balance problems, and trouble speaking.
• Empyema: It's when pockets of pus form around your lungs. Treatment may involve a chest tube to drain the pus.
• Inflammation of the heart: Bacterial infections can cause inflammation and are sometimes treated with medications.
• Rhabdomyolysis: This condition causes muscle breakdown, and treatment involves flushing toxins out of your body.

Prevention of Legionnaires