As the number of COVID cases decreases, we know that hotels/motels and businesses are reopening for public use.
This is a reminder of one of the hidden dangers, especially in the limited use of artificial hydration environments.
The worrying microorganism was named Legionella pneumoniae: a single-celled gram-negative bacterium that thrives well in amoeba and ciliated protozoa that are usually found in water.
It grows rapidly in warm water.
When inhaling infected water, Legionella will move to your alveolar macrophages (microscopic areas of the lungs) because it looks like its natural host.
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It can cause Legionnaires' disease, a severe form of pneumonia called Legionnaires' disease.
In milder cases, the patient may have so-called Pontiac fever, which means there is no pneumonia.
It will not be infected through contact with patients, but only through infected water sources (such as shower heads or sink taps); cooling towers (structures containing water and fans as part of a centralized air cooling system for buildings or industrial processes) ); hot tubs; decorative fountains and water features; hot water tanks and heaters; or large and complex piping systems.
Home and car air conditioners do not use water to cool the air, so they do not have the risk of Legionella growth.
Humans who meet the following conditions are at risk: 50 years of age or older; current or former smokers; suffering from chronic lung diseases (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or emphysema); weakened immune systems or taking drugs that weaken the immune system (such as After transplantation or chemotherapy); have cancer; have underlying diseases such as diabetes, kidney failure or liver failure.
Symptoms usually start about 2 to 14 days after exposure to bacteria, but it may take longer.
It mimics other types of pneumonia or lung infections, and symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, fever, muscle aches and headaches.
If you develop symptoms of pneumonia, you must seek medical attention immediately. Be sure to mention whether you may have been exposed to Legionella, whether you have used a hot tub, whether you have spent the night outside, whether you are working in a hospital or returning to a building that may not be well maintained.
Pontiac fever is a milder infection from the same organism. The symptoms are mainly fever and muscle aches.
Symptoms begin within a few hours to three days after exposure and last for about a week.
Legionella can be detected by special selective culture of lower respiratory secretions (sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid) or urine antigen test.
The urine antigen test is very fast (on the day) and can detect about 84% of cases, but remember that it only targets serogroup 1 (there are 15 serogroups, of which serogroup 1 is the most common pathogenic variant).
CDC has a toolkit to help owners and managers develop and implement water management plans.
As our economy recovers again, let us all help each other and protect each other's safety!
Dawn Page is the infection prevention coordinator at Steward Melbourne Regional Medical Center.