The world's local bank
Feature Stories
Legionnaire's Disease
Retiree Mr Leung was always very careful about what he ate and drank because of his diabetes. He practised Tai Chi every morning in the park, was generally quite fit and hardly ever needed to see the doctor.
Lately, however, Mr Leung had been experiencing symptoms of tiredness, head and muscle aches, persistent cough, chills and fever. At first, Mr Leung thought he had the flu, so he went to see the doctor. Yet, after taking the prescribed medicine for a few days, his condition did not improve. Yesterday, Mr Leung saw in the newspaper that a resident in the same block had been isolated in hospital with Legionnaire's Disease.
Mr Leung was afraid he had caught the same disease, since his block was over 40 years old and there was some concern over the cleanliness of the water tank and pipes. Besides, could Mr Leung have already infected his partner if he really had Legionnaire's Disease?
- Legionnaire or not, everyone runs the same risk
- Delayed treatment may have serious consequences
- Proper antibiotic treatment can deal effectively with Legionnaire's Disease
- Preventing Infection starts with Clean Living
- No human transmission
- A healthy lifestyle must be sustained during recovery
Source: Quality HealthCare Medical Services Limited
Legionnaire or not, everyone runs the same risk
Some people may ask: Why is this illness called Legionnaire's Disease? Back in 1976, during the American Legion's 200th Anniversary celebration in Philadelphia, a total of 221 veterans suddenly came down with pneumonia-like symptoms, and 34 subsequently died. At first the cause of this disease was a mystery, but tests revealed that the disease was caused by a new strain of lung-invading bacteria, subsequently named legionella, which gave the name Legionnaire's Disease. Veteran or not, however, if we come into contact with this bacterium, we are all at risk of contracting this disease.
Delayed treatment may have serious consequences
Those infected can quickly (within one day) develop a fever (39°C or above). Other symptoms include cough (half of sufferers will produce phlegm, and one-third will cough up blood), wheezing, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, chest pain, delirium and even coma.
If not treated promptly, the legionella bacteria could cause serious pneumonia, breathing failure, and multiple-organ failure (including acute kidney failure), with subsequent shock and possible stroke. Therefore, it is essential for anyone who suspects they may have contracted the disease to see a doctor immediately.
Proper antibiotic treatment can deal effectively with Legionnaire's Disease
Modern antibiotics have been proven highly effective against Legionnaire's Disease, but some patients may experience side-effects such as stomach disorders or allergic reactions. Recently, the pharmaceutical industry has been developing new medications, such as azithromycin antibiotics, which are fast acting against legionella and have fewer side-effects.
Preventing Infection starts with Clean Living
There is still no vaccine against Legionnaire's Disease. However, healthy living habits and a sanitary environment could help reduce the chances of contracting the disease.
Most importantly, risk factors such as smoking and drinking alcohol should be eliminated. With regards to one's surroundings, regular cleansing of air conditioners and disinfection of cooling towers in residential and office blocks are necessary to prevent the bacteria from breeding and spreading. In addition, people with chronic diseases such as diabetes and TB should have their condition checked regularly by a doctor.
In fact, all adults (aged 50 or above) with smoking drinking habits, as well as those with chronic TB, diabetes,or organ transplant patients, have a greater death rate once infected with the bacteria (death rate of 10% - 40%). They should remain vigilant.
No human transmission
An infected person displaying symptoms of Legionnaire's Disease cannot transmit the legionella bacteria. Even if a family member is infected with legionella, the disease cannot be passed on through normal everyday contact.
Are occupants of the same residential block all at risk of contracting Legionnaire's Disease? This depends on whether they all use the same water-cooling system (like a hotel air conditioning's central water-cooling system). If there are two independent systems and one is polluted, this does not mean that the other will automatically have the same problem. So occupants should not be overly concerned about this.
A healthy lifestyle must be sustained during recovery
Having recovered from Legionnaire's Disease, the body will have produced antibodies to withstand future infections. However, since there are over 50 different strains of legionella, getting the disease once does not guarantee lifetime immunity.
The best way to prevent the disease is to follow a healthy lifestyle. As mentioned above, convalescents should continue to refrain from smoking and drinking alcohol, and those with chronic illnesses such as diabetes and TB should have regular check-ups. A healthy body means the chances of contracting Legionnaire's Disease again will be much lower.
Source: Quality HealthCare Medical Services Limited
