On Tuesday, a group of experts warned that swimming in certain still lakes might expose swimmers to Legionella, a bacteria that can cause pneumonia. They urged swimmers to be mindful of this danger.
Infection with legionella, often known as legionnaires’ disease, results in severe lung inflammation, which is characterized by fever, chills, malaise, chest discomfort, cough, exhaustion, respiratory symptoms, and sometimes diarrhea.
Internal medicine resident Dr. Ashley Bryson of the University of Manitoba said that “Legionella infection represents a public health hazard owing to its ability to spread through exposure to natural water bodies and human-made water reservoirs.”
According to an article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, the specialists clarified that legionella bacteria flourish in the warm, stagnant water found in lakes, rivers, air conditioners, and plumbing systems.
The primary risk factors for Legionnaires’ disease include age over 50, a history of smoking, diabetes, chronic renal or cardiovascular disease, and a weakened immune system.
“Clinicians should consider legionnaires’ disease in patients with pneumonia that does not improve despite the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, especially if the pneumonia is severe, occurring in immunocompromised patients or patients with recent travel history, or when only antimicrobials without activity against atypical pathogens have been administered,” the investigators suggested.
When patients do not respond well to outpatient antibiotic therapy for community-acquired pneumonia, they should be tested for legionnaires’ disease. This is especially important for patients with severe pneumonia who need intensive care.
Legionnaires’ disease testing is also required for patients with compromised immune systems, those who have traveled within 14 days of the beginning of symptoms, and those who have been admitted to the hospital with hospital-acquired pneumonia.
Although symptoms might last for weeks, they usually appear 2–14 days after exposure.
