Treatment of Legionella Explained
Did you know? Legionella is an often fatal disease that can contaminate closed water systems. If left untreated, it can cause pneumonia and kidney failure. Not cool. In this article, we will tell you about the treatment of Legionella.
Legionella bacteria live everywhere, invading buildings and finding water to thrive in. They like hot water and natural springs where they grow quickly. The naked eye can't see them, but that doesn't make them harmless. Organisms like Legionella put millions of people at risk every year, making legionnaires' disease contractable. Legionella kills. Globally, it is responsible for 8,000-18,000 deaths every year. That equals approximately 20 deaths per day, Or 10% 0f total yearly worldwide mortality from infectious diseases. Some of these deaths are among people with other conditions such as cancer or chronic lung disease, making them more sensitive to this particular bacterial infection. That's why treatment of Legionella is important.
source: Clean Room Tech
History of Legionella:
The word "legionnaire" was first used in 1976 because of an outbreak at the American Legion convention held at a hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which gave its name to this disease. The bacteria that caused this sickness had been around for a long time, but it hadn't been detected before because it wasn't known to cause disease. Still, scientists could isolate the bacteria from sick people and determine what it was. They named it after the Legionnaires' Disease, which is still its common name today.
Today we know much more about how Legionella works and what causes infection. Two different types of bacteria can cause illness: Legionella pneumophila and other related species called non-pneumophila Legionella. Legionella can be found in water systems like cooling towers or hot tubs, the soil around building sites where construction has disturbed natural habitats such as ponds or swamps (these areas often have stagnant water), and even some types of food!
Legionella is an infection caused by breathing in contaminated air from an infected person's lungs or becoming infected when they breathe in small droplets of water containing the bacteria.
source: WHYY
Treatment of Legionella:
Legionella is not a bacterium to play around with. The treatment of Legionella is a very serious matter, and it's one that you should be able to understand. Legionella can cause Legionnaire's disease, and this disease is extremely dangerous. Here are the answers to some common questions about the treatment of Legionella:
How do you know the treatment of Legionella?
The treatment of Legionella is antibiotics that destroy bacteria. You will typically receive these antibiotics in a hospital drip, which means they will be administered intravenously. This is the most effective way to administer these powerful drugs, as it allows them to get into the bloodstream without passing through the digestive system.
The treatment of Legionella is as follows:
If the patient has an impaired immune system, the course of treatment may last 2-4 weeks
The doctor prescribes mandatory antibiotic treatment
If there are no complications, the course of treatment can be shortened to 5-7 days
How long does it take to treat Legionella?
It usually takes two weeks of intensive antibiotic treatment before your legionella infection has been destroyed. Even after leaving the hospital, you may need to continue taking antibiotics for up to six months or longer in rare cases.
How do doctors know how to treat Legionella?
Doctors will use tests on your blood, sputum (phlegm), and urine that can detect whether or not you have legionella infection. Then, if you test positive for Legionella, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics. The specific medication depends on the severity of the infection and your medical history. You should be feeling better within 5-6 days after beginning treatment if the medication is working for you. Your doctor will likely run tests to confirm that the bacteria are gone from your body before being released from care.
source: The Bulletin
Prevention from Legionella:
Legionella enters water systems and grows in places where the temperature is between 20°C-45°C (68°F-113°F). Are you wondering how to prevent Legionella? The answer is easy: follow these simple steps.
Keep the water temperature in your water heater set no higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit. This prevents the bacteria from multiplying.
Run your shower for five minutes every month to flush out any stagnant water accumulated in the pipes.
Have someone inspect your plumbing system once a year to ensure there aren't any problems that could allow Legionella to grow or spread easily through it.
Conclusion:
To reduce the risks arising from Legionella, certain steps need to be taken to prevent the risk of contamination. It's all about taking simple and effective steps to safeguard yourselves and your family. Besides, it is also important to protect yourself against Legionella with appropriate masks.
Read the Causes and Symptoms of Legionella here: Legionella causes and symptoms.