Are there other differences between Legionnaires disease and Pontiac fever?
A. Yes. Unlike Legionnaires’ disease, which occurs in only a small percentage of people who are exposed, Pontiac fever will occur in approximately 90 percent of those exposed. In addition, the time between exposure to the organism and appearance of the disease (called the incubation period) is generally shorter for Pontiac fever than for Legionnaires’ disease. Symptoms of Pontiac fever can appear within one to three days after exposure. Pontiac fever has been associated with exposure to non-viable LDB and may be a hypersensitivity response to bacterial or other antigens rather than an infection.
