What is Legionnaires disease?
Legionnaire’s disease is a form of pneumonia caused by a bacterium, Legionella pneumophilia. It was first discovered following an outbreak at an American Legion convention in a Philadelphia hotel in 1976. However, after the organism was isolated, some earlier pneumonia outbreaks were investigated and it was verified that earlier cases had occurred. Legionnaire’s disease has an attack rate of about 5%, meaning about 5% of those exposed will contract the disease, and a mortality rate of around 15%, meaning about 15% of those who contract the disease will die of it. In total, then, a bit under 1% of those exposed will die from the disease.
Legionnaire’s disease is a form of pneumonia caused by a bacterium, Legionella pneumophilia. It was first discovered following an outbreak at an American Legion convention in a Philadelphia hotel in 1976. However, after the organism was isolated, some earlier pneumonia outbreaks were investigated and it was verified that earlier cases had occurred.
