Two different illnesses are caused by Legionella bacteria – Legionnaires’ disease and Pontiac fever
Legionella bacteria are usually found in water.
Legionnaires’ disease got its name from a 1976 outbreak at an American Legion convention in Philadelphia.
About one in 10 people who gets sick from Legionnaires’ disease will die.
Legionella occurs naturally in fresh water environments, like lakes and streams. It can become a health concern when it grows and spreads in human-made building water systems.
In general, people do not spread Legionnaires’ disease to other people. However, this may be possible under rare circumstances.
The most common transmission of Legionella is by inhaling contaminated aerosols.
Legionella can rapidly multiply in water distribution systems.
There are over 60 different species of Legionella.
Legionella bacteria ideally need a water temperature of between 20-45C to grow and contaminants such as rust and limescale can exacerbate reproductive rate.
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