News of a cluster of unexplained pneumonia cases at a medical clinic in Argentina prompted alarm last week. Now lab tests suggest that Legionella bacteria, which causes Legionnaires’ disease, may be to blame
Advertisementcauses Legionnaires’ disease and is commonly found in rivers, lakes and reservoirs in small quantities. Legionnaires’ disease is rare and is usually caused by inhaling tiny airborne water droplets, or aerosols, expelled from contaminated air conditioning units, humidifiers and taps.
As well as lung inflammation, common symptoms of the condition include fever, muscle aches, diarrhea, shortness of breath and headaches. Legionnaires’ disease can be treated using antibiotics, but people with more severe cases may need to be supplied with oxygen or put on a ventilator. Researchers hope to confirm the early findings by sequencing more microbial genes from lung samples, analysing the antibodies produced by those infected and growing the microbe in the lab.Legionella
from environmental sampling or from more established diagnostics from more of the patients would be required to give a confident confirmation,” says“Usually, regulations stipulate that water storage and plumbing should be chemically dosed with disinfectant to preventcontamination. With a clean water system and regular checks, future cases can be prevented,” says Hibberd.
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