Category Archives: Biological Monitoring Test – LEAD
1-27-16- Dr. Hildy® – LEGIONELLA Bacteria: The Cause of Legionellosis, Legionnaires’ Disease and Pontiac Fever
LEGIONELLA Bacteria: The Cause of Legionellosis,
Legionnaires’ Disease and Pontiac Fever
(2:00-4:00pm Mountain; 3:00-5:00pm Central; 4:00-6:00pm Eastern)
This week on One Cell One Light Radio, returning guest Veronica Hendricks joins Dr. Hildy in the next in a series of discussions relating to the man-made disasters currently ongoing in our nation.
Our attention next turns to the potential danger of Legionnaires’ disease. Also known as legionellosis or Legion fever, Legionnaires’ disease is a form of atypical pneumonia caused by any type of Legionella bacteria. Legionnaires has a wide variety of symptoms: almost all with Legionnaires’ disease experience fever, while approximately half have cough with sputum, and 1/3 cough up blood or bloody sputum. Other symptoms include muscle aches, headache, tiredness, loss of appetite, loss of coordination, chest pain, or diarrhea and vomiting. Up to half of those with Legionnaires have gastrointestinal symptoms, and almost half have neurological symptoms, including confusion and impaired cognition.
Exposure to the Legionella bacteria is of great concern in stagnant water. At low levels of contamination, the chance of getting Legionnaires’ disease from a water source is very slight. The problem arises when high concentrations of the organism grow in water systems. Water heaters, cooling towers, and warm, stagnant water can provide ideal conditions for the growth of the organism.