In 1976 several people attending an American Legion meeting in Philadelphia became very ill with a mystery disease. 221 people became sick during this outbreak and 34 people died, causing many throughout the country to start to panic. This disease that sparked this epidemic became known as Legionnaires’ Disease, and several months later in 1977, it was found that this disease was caused by a bacterium that became known as Legionella.

Legionnaires’ Disease is a type of pneumonia. Legionnaires’ Disease is actually a type of Legionellosis, the umbrella term for diseases caused by legionella. Other forms of legionellosis include Pontiac Fever, a respiratory infection that is milder than Legionnaires’ and resembles influenza.

Some individuals are more susceptible to become sick with Legionnaires’ Disease. Those who have compromised immune systems, the elderly, and smokers are among those who are more likely to succumb to this illness.

Symptoms

It can take from 2 to 10 days from the initial exposure to legionella for symptoms to start. A type of pneumonia, it is hard to distinguish Legionnaire’s from other types of pneumonia and additional tests are often necessary to diagnose Legionnaires’ Disease.

The common initial symptoms are a cough, chills, and a fever. Some also suffer from headaches, tiredness, gastrointestinal problems, muscle aches, and other symptoms. Some people may have confusion or a low heart rate. Renal and liver functions may also be effected by Legionnaire's.

Causes of Legionnaires’ Disease

As mentioned earlier, Legionnaires’ comes from a bacterium called legionella. Infection usually happens when fine water particles containing legionella become airborne and are inhaled into the lungs. This often happens in poorly ventilated areas, but an airborne legionella bacterium can travel about 4 miles under the right conditions.

Most legionella lives in water and it is naturally occurring in freshwater lakes, ponds, and streams. It has also become common in many industrial cooling towers and it can also be found in swimming pools, humidifiers, spas, fountains, ice machines, misters, and more. Legionella also can live in home hot water systems, heating systems, and showers which can account for up to 20% of all Legionnaires’ Disease cases.

Preventing Legionnaires’ Disease

It is a good idea to turn up the heat on your boiler or your home hot water heater; approximately 158°F (according to many scientists) is the temperature at which legionella bacterium is killed. Normally, the bacterium isn’t thriving in the actual water tank or boiler, it is growing in the biological slime that can grow inside pipes, which makes removing the slime from the pipes an active and effective way to control legionella.

UV Light can also control legionella, but the bacterium must be exposed to it directly. Legionella can also be killed by chlorine and chlorine dioxide when used in a certain concentration.

Conclusion

Legionnaires’ Disease is a serious, sometimes fatal illness. While large scale outbreaks can occur, the legionella bacteria can make you sick in your own home. It is important to take some steps to prevent legionella from growing and flourishing, particularly if you or your loved ones are more susceptible to Legionnaires’. If you suspect that you have Legionnaire’s Disease, legionellosis, or any other sort of pneumonia, seek medical attention immediately; the sooner you seek treatment, the better the prognosis usually is.