A Legionnaires' disease test is used to diagnose a severe type of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria. It primarily involves a urine test for bacterial antigens, alongside sputum (phlegm) cultures and chest X-rays.
Whether Legionella goes away on its own depends on the specific illness it causes. The bacteria can lead to two different conditions:
Can you carry out a risk assessment yourself? If you own a small property with a simple hot and cold water system, you may decide to conduct the risk assessment yourself. The resulting report may indicate there is no need for testing and that simple steps can be taken to minimise all risks.
Diagnosing Legionella typically relies on three primary methods: the Urinary Antigen Test (UAT), culture tests (on sputum or respiratory secretions), and PCR (molecular) tests. Healthcare providers often use these tests together to confirm a diagnosis of Legionnaires' disease or Pontiac fever.
The first signs of Legionnaires’ disease typically appear 2 to 14 days after exposure to Legionella bacteria. Early symptoms are often flu-like and include:
Legionnaires' disease mostly involves the lungs. But it can cause infections in sores and in other parts of the body, including the heart.
Legionella bacteria are killed through specific physical and chemical methods, primarily focusing on extreme temperatures and strong disinfectants.
Legionella bacteria primarily cause two distinct illnesses, collectively known as legionellosis:
Legionnaires’ disease is treated with specific prescription antibiotics that can penetrate the cells where Legionella bacteria multiply. First-line treatments typically include:
Yes, blood tests can be used to check for Legionnaires' disease, but they are generally not the preferred or fastest method for an initial diagnosis.
Run your shower for 5 to 10 minutes to flush out stagnant water. If the property has been vacant for several weeks, some experts recommend running it for up to 20 minutes.
You can get Legionnaires' disease if you breathe in tiny droplets of water containing bacteria that cause the infection. It's usually caught in places like hotels, hospitals or offices where the bacteria have got into the water supply. It's less common to catch it at home.
Legionella testing typically costs between $𝟏𝟓𝟎 and $𝟑𝟎𝟎 per water sample for laboratory analysis. Total costs vary based on your testing method:
Legionellosis is not contagious, meaning it is not spread from person-to-person.
Legionnaires' disease is usually contracted by breathing in small, contaminated water droplets (mist or aerosol) that contain Legionella bacteria. It is not spread person-to-person.
Yes, you can get Legionnaires’ disease from air conditioning, but only from large commercial or central A/C systems that use water-cooled systems (cooling towers). You cannot get it from standard home, window, or car A/C units.
Culturing of patient specimens remains the gold standard for diagnoses of Legionnaires' disease. Culture can identify all of the known Legionella species and serogroups.
What are the most common chemical disinfectants used for Legionella control? Common chemical disinfectants include chlorine, chlorine dioxide, and ozone. These chemicals are effective at killing Legionella bacteria and are widely used in water treatment programs.
Yes, Legionnaires' disease doesn't just cause pneumonia—it is actually a severe, specific type of pneumonia (lung infection) caused by inhaling Legionella bacteria.
Legionnaires' disease primarily targets older adults, current or former smokers, and individuals with weakened immune systems or underlying chronic health conditions. Most healthy people exposed to the bacteria do not get sick, but the following groups face a significantly higher risk of severe illness.
Preventing Legionnaires' disease in showers requires controlling water temperature, eliminating stagnant water, and keeping fixtures clean. The bacteria Legionella thrive between 20∘C and 45∘C (68∘F to 113∘F) but are killed at temperatures above 60∘C (140∘F).
The initial symptoms of Legionnaires' disease are similar to those of flu:
Run your shower for 5 to 10 minutes to flush out stagnant water. If the property has been vacant for several weeks, some experts recommend running it for up to 20 minutes.
Legionella bacteria thrive in water temperatures between 77°F and 113°F (25°C to 45°C). The bacteria can survive in a wider range of 68°F to 122°F (20°C to 50°C), but they multiply most aggressively at their optimum temperature of around 95°F to 115°F (35°C to 46°C). Outside of this range, their activity and survival change dramatically.
Some will suffer long-term impaired health-related quality of life. A study of outbreak survivors showed persistence of fatigue (75%), neurologic symptoms (66%) and neuromuscular symptoms (63%) in months after an outbreak.