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- Services and providers for Legionnaires' Disease in the U.S.
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National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Legionnaires' Disease is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Legionnaires' Disease
Also called: Legionellosis
Legionnaires' disease is a type of pneumonia caused by bacteria. You usually get it by breathing in mist from water that contains the bacteria. The mist may come from hot tubs, showers or air-conditioning units for large buildings. The bacteria don't spread from person to person.
Symptoms of Legionnaires' disease include fever, chills, a cough and sometimes muscle aches and headaches. Other types of pneumonia have similar symptoms. You will probably need a chest x-ray to diagnose the pneumonia. Lab tests can detect the specific bacteria that cause Legionnaires' disease.
The bacteria are more likely to make you sick if you
- Are older than 65
- Smoke
- Have a lung disease
- Have a weak immune system
Legionnaires' disease is serious and can be life-threatening. However, most people recover with antibiotic treatment.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Start Here
- Patient Facts: Learn More about Legionnaires' Disease(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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Overviews
- Legionnaires' Disease(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Legionnaires' Disease(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
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Related Issues
- Resuming Safe Operation of Building Water Systems: Risk of Legionnaires' Disease(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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Pictures & Photographs
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Legionellosis (Legionnaires' Disease)(Logical Images)
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Legionnaires' Disease
(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Legionnaires' Disease
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: An outbreak of Legionnaires' disease associated with a circulating bathwater...
- Article: Severe Legionella pneumonia: rapid presumptive clinical diagnosis with Winthrop-University Hospital's...
- Article: NAIP and Ipaf control Legionella pneumophila replication in human cells.
- Legionnaires' Disease -- see more articles
- Medical Encyclopedia Return to top
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Organizations
- National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne, and Enteric Diseases, Division of Foodborne, Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
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Date last updated: 10 September 2008 Topic last reviewed: 06 June 2008 |