Legionnaires Disease - symptom, Treatment of Legionnaires Disease
Legionnaires Disease Information
Legionnaires' disease is a form of pneumonia that is caused by the Legionella bacteria. Approximately 10,000-40,000 people in the United States develop Legionnaires' disease annually. The bacterial species responsible for Legionnaires' disease is L. pneumophila . Common sign & symptoms include fever , headache, chest pain and dry cough which is initially nonproductive. Legionnaires' disease is caused by inhaling Legionella bacteria from the environment. The bacteria that cause Legionnaires' disease are found in warm, stagnant water and the soil it seeps into.
Symptoms of Legionnaires Disease
The symptoms of Legionnaires' disease are common to many types of pneumonia and diagnosis of sporadic cases can be difficult. Symptoms begin to appear around 2 to 10 days after infection, and include the followings -
- fever,
- chills,
- headache,
- muscle pain,
- low appetite,
- fatigue.
- dry cough
- chest pain,
- confusion,
- delirium,
- onnaires Disease
Treatment of Legionnaires Disease
Legionnaires' disease is treated with oral or intravenous (IV) antibiotics, usually erythromycin. The antibiotic your doctor prescribes depends upon how severe your infection is, whether you have any allergies, and any other medications you are already taking. Most cases of Legionella pneumonia show improvement within 12-48 hours of starting antibiotic therapy. In severe cases with complications, antibiotic therapy may be joined by respiratory support. If renal failure occurs, dialysis is required until renal function is recovered.
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