Lithuania: An emergency has been declared in the capital city of Vilnius after Legionella bacteria were found in the water systems of several apartment buildings.
March 15th, 2017
Legionellosis is bacterial respiratory disease caused by Legionella that can present as either Legionnaires’ disease or Pontiac fever. Legionnaires’ disease is a common cause of severe pneumonia requiring hospitalization, while Pontiac fever generally resolves on its own.
The following table summarizes key clinical differences between Legionnaires’ disease and Pontiac fever.
| Legionnaires’ disease | ||
|---|---|---|
| Clinical features | Pneumonia, cough, fever | |
| Pathogenesis | Replication of organism | |
| Radiographic pneumonia | Yes | |
| Incubation period | 2 to 10* days after exposure | |
| Percent of persons who become ill, when exposed to the source of an outbreak |
Less than 5% | |
| Isolation of organism | Possible | |
| Outcome | Hospitalization common Case-fatality rate: 10%, approximately 30% for healthcare-associated cases |