Legionella Treatment and Diagnosis

You're reading this right now because you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with legionella. You're wondering what Legionella treatment is and how exactly to get it. Legionella is a type of bacteria that causes Legionnaires Disease and Pontiac Fever. Legionnaires Disease (L.D), also known as Pontiac Fever or the Pontiac disease, is an infection caused by inhaling water contaminated with Legionella bacteria.

To prevent a person from contracting legionnaires disease, you need to take steps to avoid exposure and quickly diagnose if one has been exposed. This article will tell you about Legionella Treatment and Diagnosis.

What is Legionella?

Legionnaires' disease is pneumonia caused by the bacterium Legionella pneumophila. It can be contracted by breathing in water vapor that contains the bacteria. The disease typically causes flu-like symptoms, including fever and chills, headache, muscle aches, and diarrhea. It's most commonly found in people who have built or renovated their homes or offices, and it is most common among people over 50. There are five recognized types of legionellosis:

Pontiac fever

American Legion syndrome

British Legion syndrome

Pontiac typhus

Australian legionellosis.

Legionella Diagnosis:

Diagnosing legionella is a little more complicated than it sounds, but it's not impossible!

First, you’ll want to rule out other common infections and illnesses. You can do this by taking a quick look at your symptoms and asking yourself if they feel like they fit with any of the other conditions people experience when they get sick with Legionnaires’ disease.

If you're still worried that something might be wrong, you can order some blood or urine tests to help confirm the diagnosis. This will involve taking a blood or urine sample and sending it to a lab for testing. To diagnose Legionnaires disease, your doctor will take a sample of your blood or sputum (mucus).

How to Avoid Legionella?

Legionella is a bacterium that can cause pneumonia and is also commonly found in the water supply of many American cities. If you're in a building with a water source like this, you may have legionella on your hands—and it may be time to get tested for it.

The first step is to ensure that your building has no known cases of legionella. You can do this by checking the water supply of your building and testing it for any signs of infection. If you see any signs of activity, such as muddy water or debris floating in your faucet, you should take immediate action to test your tap water or install filters on all fixtures.

If your tap water is free of legionella, but there are still other risks in your building (such as an air conditioning unit), you may want to get tested for Legionella exposure. This can be done at home by taking a shower with hot water, washing your hands thoroughly before going outside, and wiping down any surfaces that might have come into contact with the contaminated water (like door handles).

Legionella Treatment:

There are many different types of treatments for legionella.

Keep yourself Hydrated:

The first is simply to stay hydrated and keep your bladder healthy by drinking lots of water and keeping your urine voiding every few hours. If you're unable to drink enough fluids, it can help to take more than the usual amount of medication you'd typically take. This will help get rid of the infection faster.

Antibiotics:

The second and most common way to treat legionella is through antibiotics. Antibiotics can kill the bacteria by stopping them from replicating, which prevents them from growing and spreading throughout your body. If you're allergic to penicillin, an antibiotic called amoxicillin may be a better choice because it doesn't cause as many side effects as penicillin.

If you're allergic to penicillin, an antibiotic called amoxicillin may be a better choice because it doesn't cause as many side effects as penicillin. Here is the list of common antibiotics and drugs used to treat legionella.

Fluoroquinolones

Levofloxacin

Moxifloxacin

Macrolides like azithromycin

Clarithromycin.

Final Words:

Legionella contamination can be dangerous and even deadly if not discovered and treated on time. If you see signs or symptoms of legionella, consult a professional immediately.

Here is the link to the Symptoms of Legionella.