Legionellez or insidious bacterium

Winner Legionelleza

Legionella - Hummot-negative bacterium. Separate types of it (L. Pneumophila) cause disease called «Legionnae disease», Otherwise - Legionellions.

Legionella is widespread in a natural environment, for example, it lives in warm water bodies with algae. Today there are 50 of her species and 70 Serovarov.

Bacteria received its name as a result of an outbreak of the disease, which broke out in Philadelphia on July 27, 1976. At the conference of the veterans of the American Legion. Then the mysterious disease suddenly struck the 221th member of the Congress, and 34 of them died. This case caused a real panic in the USA. The cause of the disease was detected only on January 18, 1977., When a previously unknown bacterium was highlighted, later called Legionella. As it turned out, this bacterium has multiplied in the central air conditioning system installed in the building where Veterans Congress passed.

«Favorite» Places of Legionella

Legionellese is not transmitted from man to man. It is also impossible to get from animals. The disease is transmitted mainly by respiratory means - as a result of inhalation of aerosol saturated with legionells (air with water particles infected with bacteria). It is formed in poorly ventilated rooms, where the wet air is constantly circulating. It can be showers, swimming pools, spa, fountains inside buildings, air humidifiers, ice-leaving machines, smokers and t.D. Legionella multiplies at temperatures from 20 to 50°C, although the temperature interval is optimal for it 35-46°C.

Incubation period of the disease is 2-10 days. The disease may occur in the form of a respiratory disease - the so-called «Pontiac fever» (in this case, the patient is experiencing chills and muscle pain) - either in the form of atypical pneumonia (actually «Diseases of legionnaires»).

Symptoms and Complications of Legionellez

Legionellez usually begins with increasing body temperature, patient is strongly illuminated, it is experiencing muscle and articular pain. These manifestations of the disease are growing and after 2-3 days reach the climax. The disease is accompanied by a painful cough with mucinous-purulent, and sometimes with purulent or purulent blood wets. With the development of the disease, pain in the chest appear.

Legionellles affects the light, nervous system, less often other organs (diffuse toxic encephalophalopathy with the lesion of the brain barrel and cerebellum, the appearance of dysarthria, ataxia, nystagma, the loss of orientation, the violation of consciousness is also revealed by hepatosplegegaly, diarrhea, and with a long-term course of the disease can develop acute renal failure).

In the process of treatment, antibiotics are prescribed (macrolides: erythromycin, azithromycin (Sumamed), clarithromycin or quinolone (levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, hemifloxacin). In case the treatment begins immediately, the mortality rate is reduced to 5%.

To prevent Legionelle disease, it is recommended to reduce the amount of pathogens in water systems in thermal and chemical method. Bacterry quickly dies as a result of processing its habitats by disinfectants, for example, calcium hypochloride.

Fact in topic

Every year in the United States is registered from 8,000 to 18,000 cases of legionellez. Some ill diseases occur in immended, in a soft form. Mass outbursts of the disease, as a rule, occur in summer or early in autumn. The mortality rate from the disease of the legionnaires during the mass outbreak varies from 5 to 30%.