- Recently, a mysterious pneumonia outbreak in Argentina has been identified as Legionellosis.
- Legionellosis is a pneumonia-like illness that varies in severity from mild febrile illness to a serious and sometimes fatal form of pneumonia.
- The causative agents are Legionella bacteria from water or potting mix.
- It included fever, muscle and abdominal pain and shortness of breath.
- The disease typically spreads via inhalation of contaminated aerosols from contaminated water, which could come from — air conditioning cooling towers, evaporative condensers associated with air conditioning and industrial cooling, hot and cold-water systems, humidifiers and whirlpool spas.
- The people who have comorbidities like hypertension, diabetes, obesity, respiratory problems, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or those who follow poor habits like smoking are more prone to the condition.
- Treatments exist, but there is no vaccine currently available for Legionnaires’ disease.
- Patients with Legionnaires’ disease always require antibiotic treatment following diagnosis.
- The public health threat posed by legionellosis can be addressed by implementing water safety plans by authorities responsible for building safety or water system safety.
SOURCE: THE HINDU,THE ECONOMIC TIMES,MINT