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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staff
Legionnaires' disease
Legionnaires' disease usually develops two to 14 days after exposure to the legionella bacteria. It frequently begins with the following signs and symptoms:
- Headache
- Muscle pain
- Chills
- Fever that may be 104 F (40 C) or higher
If you have Legionnaires' disease, by the second or third day, you'll develop other signs and symptoms that may include:
- Cough, which may bring up mucus and sometimes blood
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
- Confusion or other mental changes
Although Legionnaires' disease primarily affects the lungs, it occasionally can cause infections in wounds and in other parts of the body, including the heart.
Pontiac fever
Pontiac fever is a mild form of Legionnaires' disease. It's marked by:
- Fever
- Chills
- Headache
- Muscle aches
Pontiac fever doesn't infect your lungs. If you have Pontiac fever, your symptoms will clear in about two to five days.
Unlike Legionnaire's disease, Pontiac fever has a short incubation period — usually two to three days — and affects people with no known risk factors for the illness. Some researchers speculate that Pontiac fever isn't an infection at all, but rather a hypersensitivity reaction to legionella bacteria or to the single-celled organisms (protozoa) in which they replicate.
When to see a doctor
See your doctor if you think you've been exposed to legionella bacteria. Be sure to mention any trips you've taken in the past two weeks and where you stayed. Diagnosing and treating Legionnaires' disease as soon as possible can help shorten the recovery period and prevent serious complications. For people at high risk, prompt treatment is critical.
- Pedro-Botet LM, et al. Epidemiology and pathogenesis of legionella infection. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 5, 2008.
- Patient facts: Learn more about Legionnaires' disease. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/legionella/patient_facts.htm. Accessed Nov. 21, 2008.
- Tossa P, et al. Pontiac fever: An operational definition for epidemiological studies. BMC Public Health. 2006;6:112.
- Pedro-Botet LM, et al. Treatment and prevention of legionella infection. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 5, 2008.
- Top 10 things every clinician needs to know about legionellosis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/legionella/top10.htm. Accessed Nov. 21, 2008.
- Pedro-Botet LM, et al. Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of legionella infection. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Nov. 5, 2008.
- Neil K, et al. Increasing incidence of legionellosis in the United States, 1990-2005: Changing epidemiologic trends. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2008;47:591.
- Nhu Nguyen TM, et al. A community-wide outbreak of Legionnaires disease linked to industrial cooling towers - How far can contaminated aerosols spread? Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2006;193:102.
- Legionnaires' disease associated with potting soil - California, Oregon, and Washington. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm4934a1.htm. Accessed Nov. 4, 2008.
- Legionellosis. World Health Organization. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs285/en/index.html. Accessed Nov. 24, 2008.
