Legionnaires ’ disease is a form of atypical pneumonia originate by any case of Legionella bacterium . Within the legionella there are several coinage , from which the most important is Legionella pneumophila , since it is the one that cause most cases of pneumonia in humans .
Legionella pneumophila is a microbe that normally live in water supply . It has been set apart in natural sources of fresh water , in lake , in thermic weewee , etc . But these natural source induce legionary disease very seldom . The vast majority of case and epidemics are associate with artificial sources of water : H2O pipework in building , heat exchanger , cool tugboat and cooling pipes for example .
How Does A Person Get Legionnaires Disease?
The infection of the legionnaires disease is by inhalant of water particles contaminate by L. pneumophila . That is , from those places where there is L. pneumophila , aerosols are produced and in the droplet of that aerosol “ legionella ” travels and enter the lung of the future patient when inhales air containing these particles . The surround in which the aspiration of L. pneumophila hap is usually in those building or facilities with contaminated gadget ( cool off column ) , and hoi polloi living in the vicinity of those facility can also be touch . Another way to narrow the legionary disease is also by aspiration of aerosols that can be sire in the locality of works in which large amount of dirt are remove . The means to inhale from drinking water system pipage is through the atomizer that are return when the faucet are opened , especially the exhibitioner . However , the legionnaires disease has not been linked to pee intake and neither has person - to - someone transmitting been demonstrated .
In this way , pneumonia due to L. pneumophila can appear in an separated and occasional manner as one of the possible cause of pneumonia acquired in the residential area and also in an epidemic manakin , usually connect with specific buildings . If one of these building is a infirmary , the consequences can be specially serious since people disclose to L. pneumophila will be mostly patient with other diseases that will make more difficult for them to campaign against the transmission .
The main know risk of infection factor for a patient to contract pneumonia due to Legionella are smoking and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease . There are also other risk factors that lead to legionnaires disease :
-Immunosuppressive treatment , peculiarly with adrenal cortical steroid .
-Surgical patient .
-Alcoholism , malnutrition .
-Receptors for organ transplantation .
Legionella can make several clinical symptom , of which the most important is pneumonia , which is what we know as “ Legionnaires ’ disease ” . To consult to the set of diseases that it can cause , we apply the condition “ Legionellosis . ”
The incubation flow for legionnaires disease is between 2 and 10 days , and the onset of symptoms is usually gradual with symptom reminiscent of flu : malaise , myalgias , anorexia , andheadachethat are then follow by the relief of the symptoms . The fever is usually very high and can exceed 40 degrees C. However , the legionnaires disease symptom can also have a sudden onset and from the first second have a serious situation with very eminent febricity and great handicap of the universal condition . There is usually a coughing with poor sputum production and there may be very vivid chest pain . In 15 to 50 % of the case there are also digestive symptom , of which the most frequent is usually diarrhea .
Regarding analytical data , several change have been key out , of which perhaps the most striking is the presence of hyponatremia ( low levels of sodium in the blood ) . However , none of them allow establishing the diagnosis .
Clinical suspicion of legionnaires disease is demonstrate when :
-Persistent fever>40 ºC.
-No germs on sputum examination under a microscope ( the well - known sputum Gram soil ) .
-Hyponatremia ( humbled descent sodium level ) .
-Failure to handle with some antibiotics such as penicillin , cephalosporin and aminoglycosides .
-Coincidence with possible source suspected of being the pedigree of the transmission .
Conclusion
After the Legionella grows and multiplies in the piddle system of a building , the water that moderate the Legionella must be dispersed in the form of droplet small enough for people to inspire . People can get legionnaires disease when they inhale droplets of pee in the air that incorporate bacteria .
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