Legionnaires' disease
Legionnaires disease is a serious lung infection caused by Legionella bacteria.
Initial symptomsusuallyinclude flu-like symptoms , such as:
Once bacteria begin to infect your lungs, you may also experience symptoms of pneumonia , such as:
See your GP as soon as possible if you develop the symptoms above. If you have a high temperature, you may have an infection of some kind.Seek urgent medical attention ifyou have more severe symptoms, such as chest pain and breathing difficulties .
It usually takes six to seven days between getting the infection and the start of symptoms (known as the incubation period),although it canbe any time from two to 19 days.
AsLegionnaires' disease has similar symptoms to other illnesses,your recent travel history will be relevant in making a diagnosis. If an infection is suspected, a urine test canbe used to check for Legionnaires' disease.
Legionnaires disease is a serious lung infection that is caused by Legionella bacteria.
Legionnaires disease is caused by Legionella bacteria infecting your lungs. It's usually caught by breathing in small droplets of contaminated water. The infection isn't contagious and can't be spread
Everyone is potentially at risk of developing Legionnaires disease. However,certainthings make it more likely that you will experience a more severe form of the infection. These include: being 50 ye
Legionnaires' disease is treated with a course of antibiotics , such as erythromycin or clarithromycin. Antibiotics will be taken as a tablet or capsule, orthrough a continuous drip intoa vein in your
In some cases,Legionnaires' disease canlead tofurther, life-threatening problems. Severeinfectioncancause some organs, such as your lungs or kidneys,to stop working properly. Anothercomplication is s
The best way to prevent an outbreak of Legionnaires disease is to ensure that any water system under your control is properly maintained and conforms to relevant health and safety regulations. This m