What is the pathophysiology of Legionnaires disease?

What is the pathophysiology of Legionnaires disease?

Legionnaires’ disease is a severe form of pneumonia — lung inflammation usually caused by infection. It’s caused by a bacterium known as legionella. Most people catch Legionnaires’ disease by inhaling the bacteria from water or soil.

How is Legionella pneumonia transmitted?

How It Spreads. After Legionella grows and multiplies in a building water system, water containing Legionella can spread in droplets small enough for people to breathe in. People can get Legionnaires’ disease or Pontiac fever when they breathe in small droplets of water in the air that contain the bacteria.

Does meropenem cover Legionella?

Imipenem (78, 88, 98) and meropenem (88) were more active than the macrolides, beta-lactam/ beta-lactamase inhibitors, doxycycline, gentamicin, and clindamycin against Legionella (Tables 1, 2).

What antibiotics treat Legionella pneumonia?

Macrolides and fluoroquinolones should be the drugs of choice for the treatment of established Legionellosis. Oral macrolides should be prefered in patients with mild to moderate pneumonia; within the macrolides, azithromycin has the most favourable profile of activity.

What type of organism is Legionella pneumophila?

The Bacterial Cause of Legionnaires’ Disease A member of the genus Legionella, L. pneumophila is a Gram negative aerobic, flagellated, non-spore forming bacteria. It is pathogenic, known to be the cause of Legionnaires’ Disease, a severe, often deadly form of pneumonia.

What type of pneumonia is Legionella?

Legionnaires’ disease is a form of atypical pneumonia caused by any species of Legionella bacteria, quite often Legionella pneumophila. Signs and symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, high fever, muscle pains, and headaches. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may also occur.

Does Augmentin cover Legionella?

Neither amoxicillin nor amoxicillin clavulanate cover the atypical organisms, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia pneumoniae or Legionella sp.

Does azithromycin treat Legionella?

Azithromycin is highly active against Legionella pneumophila and has been shown to be efficacious in animal models and in clinical studies of patients with legionnaires disease.

Why is it called Legionella?

An outbreak of this disease in Philadelphia in 1976, largely among people attending a state convention of the American Legion, led to the name “Legionnaires’ disease.” Subsequently, the bacterium causing the illness was named Legionella pneumophila and the name of the illness was changed to Legionellosis.

How serious is Legionella?

Legionnaires’ disease is a serious, life-threatening illness that requires prompt treatment. Legionella may also cause a milder condition referred to as Pontiac fever. Pontiac fever doesn’t cause pneumonia and isn’t life-threatening. It has symptoms similar to those of a mild flu, and it usually goes away on its own.

How long to treat Legionella pneumonia?

Although Legionella pneumonia can present as a mild illness, most patients require hospitalization with parenteral antibiotics. Most healthy hosts exhibit clinical response to treatment within 3-5 days.

How does person get Legionnaires disease?

Legionnaires’ disease can be contracted when water droplets containing Legionella bacteria enter a person’s lungs. Cases have also been contracted from Legionella-contaminated water in incisions or skin wounds.

How is Legionnaires’ disease got its name?

Legionnaires’ disease got its name in 1976 after a group of people attending an American Legion convention became ill with pneumonia. Legionella bacteria can also cause a milder, flu-like illness called Pontiac fever. Together, Legionnaires’ disease and Pontiac fever are known as legionellosis.