Legionnaire

Legionnaire's disease overview

Legionnaire disease is an infectious disease caused by Legionnaire bacteria often found in contaminated water sources. Clinically legionnaire has many different forms. Pontiac fever is a form of mild disease during pneumonia Legionnaire is more serious, even fatal, may even be 5-30% if left untreated. In addition, the death rate of the disease depends on the severity of the disease and the previous health condition of the patient. The mortality rate increases over 40% in immunodeficiency patients not treated.

The disease occurs all over the world with single cases, the incidence of the disease is not known due to lack of supervision and reporting in countries. However, a number of outbreaks have also been recorded, such as pneumonia at the Convention Center in the US in 1976 caused by Legionnaire Pneumophila bacteria. Men over 50 years old is a high population group.

Causes of Legionnaire's disease

Legionnaire bacteria are pathogenic bacteria that are often found in contaminated water. Legionnaire Pneumophila is the most common species, living in natural soil and fresh water environment around the world such as rivers, lakes, streams, etc. C, preferably 35 degrees Celsius. air and cooling in industry, hot water system in bathtubs. Bacteria live and exist thanks to the ability to parasitic in the biological membranes or the body of primary animals. The process of infection of bacteria into the cells of the body also occurs with the same mechanism.

Not all cases of Legionnaire infection lead to Legionnaire disease and most cases of infections do not cause disease. The likelihood of disease depends mainly on bacterial levels in water sources and specific bacteria strains.

Symptoms of Legionnaire's disease

Clinical manifestations of Legionnaire disease vary depending on the disease.

Pontiac sauce is a mild form of the disease without pneumonia. Clinical manifestations are easily confused with acute flu with high fever, chills, fatigue, body pain, headache. The disease usually limits for a few days. Not recorded death when suffering from Pontiac fever.

In contrast, Legionnaire is a severe disease with outstanding pneumonia. The incubation time changes, there are cases that lasts more than 10 days. Symptoms in the early stages often include fever, fatigue, headache, anorexia, digestive disorders. In the later stage, patients often cough, more than 50% cough with sputum, sometimes coughing up blood, chest pain, short breath, even mental changes. Legionnaire disease needs to be hospitalized for treatment, otherwise it can lead to serious complications including brain sequelae. The disease progresses very quickly, patients often die in the context of acute respiratory failure due to progressive pneumonia, which may be accompanied by shock and multiple organs.

Transmission route of Legionnaire's diseaseLegionnaire

Legionnaire disease does not get directly from the sick to a healthy person when there is contact with each other. The main transmission of the disease comes from external bacteria containers. Patients often inhale bacteria in foreign particles of air from polluted sprays, cooling air -conditioning systems, humidifiers, or complex water pipe systems from high -rise buildings.

People at risk for Legionnaire's disease

In addition to the concentration and toxicity of bacteria, the likelihood of infection when the body must be Legionnaire depends on the characteristics of the host. The individuals with the following characteristics are classified as high -risk objects:

  • Men
  • Age over 50
  • Smoking
  • Alcohol abuse

    • History of lung and respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

  • The intubation tube

    • Chronic kidney failure, diabetes

  • Having malignant pathology
  • Use of prolonged corticosteroids

    • HIV/AIDS immunodeficiency or after organ transplants

    Prevention of Legionnaire's disease

    Legionnaire disease can be prevented mainly based on cleaning the entire water system such as swimming pool, air humidifier or air -conditioning and cooling systems, such as:

  • Regular maintenance, cleaning combined with disinfection, using microorganisms in cooling systems

    • Keep hot water from 60 degrees Celsius and cold water lower than 20 degrees Celsius, can be combined with bactericidal agents in cold water hot water systems

    This is a highly effective measure due to the resolution of bacteria, avoiding the spread of disease for many people at the same time.

    Besides, some measures help strengthen resistance, improve the total status as well as protect the lungs and respiratory tracts that can be applied to contribute to reducing the likelihood of disease such as:

  • Eat nutritious nutrients
  • Building a healthy lifestyle
  • Do not smoke and avoid breathing in a passive smoke
  • Follow the doctor's treatment instruction when unfortunately suffer from other medical diseases.
  • Going to prestigious facilities when there are abnormal symptoms
  • Patients absolutely not arbitrarily treat.

    • In short, if you want to minimize the number of Legionnaire cases in the community as well as the effects effectively need a coordination between clinical practitioners. , public health services and individuals.

    Diagnostic measures for Legionnaire's disease

    The diagnosis of a legionnaire disease cannot rely on clinical symptoms simply because it is easy to confuse with other diseases. Subclinical tests support the identification of pathogens more reliably.

    Doctors may prescribe the following tests for diagnosis to identify the disease:

  • Urine testing for anti -antibodies of Legionnaire
  • Testing of phlegm: Bacterial culture or fresh screening
  • Lung tissue biopsy

    • In addition, patients also need to be made other indications to assess the severity of the disease:

  • Blood formula test
  • Lung X -rays determine the level of inflammation in the lungs
  • chest scan
  • CT scan of brain or spinal cord detection to detect neurological complications when clinically suspicious

    • Diagnosis in diagnosis is a bad prognosis factor of the disease. Therefore, when there are clinical symptoms suspected, patients need to visit for timely and accurate diagnosis.

    Legionnaire's disease treatments

    For Pontiac sauce, patients sometimes do not need to be hospitalized for treatment because of its self -limit ability.

    However, patients with Legionnaire disease need to be hospitalized and antibiotics are the main treatment. The degree of response varies depending on each specific patient, requiring a few weeks or months for the patient to recover completely. The sooner the treatment helps reduce the risk of serious complications of the disease.

    See also:

  • The harmful effects of swimming pool water and hair and hair

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