Public Employee Press

Safety Spotlight

Legionnaires’ Disease

Legionnaires’ Disease, a serious lung infection, is a form of pneumonia that was first identified after it killed 34 American Legion members in 1976 at a convention in Philadelphia. It is most commonly found in large buildings with water systems that include air conditioning cooling towers and large hot water tanks. It also can be found in humidifiers, respiratory therapy devices, showerheads and faucets. Low levels may be present in lakes, ponds and streams.

How it spreads
The bacteria involved are not spread from person to person. They grow in warm, stagnant water and spread through the air, getting directly into the lungs when water droplets or mist are inhaled. The same Legionella bacteria can cause Legionnaires’ Disease or the milder Pontiac Fever.

Symptoms
Legionnaires’ Disease can develop within 2-10 days of exposure. Early symptoms are flu-like and may include slight fever, headache, aching joints and muscles, tiredness, loss of appetite, stomach pain and diarrhea. Later symptoms include difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, high fever, vomiting, diarrhea, chills, cough and chest pain.

Pontiac Fever develops within a few hours after exposure to the bacteria and has flu-like symptoms, but does not develop into pneumonia. Full recovery happens within 2-5 days and antibiotic treatment is not necessary.

Healthy folks can get Legionnaires’ Disease. At greater risk are smokers, people with chronic lung dis-ease and those with weakened immune systems — such as the elderly and people with HIV disease or undergoing chemo-therapy.

Treatment and prevention
Legionnaires’ Disease is treated with antibiotics such as erythromycin and azithromycin.
The Legionella bacteria can be killed by:

• Regularly maintaining and cleaning cooling towers, humidifiers, etc.
• Heating hot water to at least 140 degrees.
• Avoiding conditions that allow water to stagnate.