As many of
you may have heard, recently there have been several cases of Legionnaire’s
Disease diagnosed at UAB Hospital in Downtown Birmingham, Alabama. I thought that for this week’s topic, I would
give some background information about this condition and the causative
pathogen for this disease.
Legionnaire’s
Disease is a type of pneumonia brought about by an infection of a bacterium
from the Legionella genus. These organisms can be found in virtually any
source of water, and are likewise transferred through inhalation of water
droplets that contain the pathogen, not person to person. The disease has an incubation time of two to
ten days and is characterized by symptoms that are similar to other types of
bacterial pneumonia which may include fever, headache, and nonproductive cough. The individuals at the highest risk of
infection for this disease include the elderly, smokers, and those who are
immunocompromised, while those with a healthy immune system either fight off
the bacteria and never get Legionnaire’s Disease or only get a milder case.1
When you
combine the facts, it is clear how an outbreak can easily happen in a hospital
environment. Many of the individuals
have a weakened immune system, and if exposed to the Legionella bacterium in the water supply, they can easily contract
this disease.
Diagnosis of
this disease is accomplished through a variety of means such as special
fluorescent stains, DNA detection, and even a urine antigen test. Since this organism is difficult to grow and
isolate on standard media, special media must be utilized that can aid in its
culture.1
Hopefully
this information helped in the understanding of this disease.
References:
1. Tillie, Patricia M (2014). Legionella. Bailey and Scott’s Diagnostic Microbiology 13th Edition (pp.
424-430). St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier Mosby.
This is somewhat concerning to me!!
ReplyDelete