Well, the symptoms mimick pneumonia so it's hard to make a firm diagnosis. The people most at risk for death are those with weakened immune systems, smokers, and elderly.
Otherwise, you could think you had a bad case of bronchitis or some other respiratory infection and not know you had Legionaire's Disease. If you catch it early, it's cured with antibiotics. .
You get it from breathing in the mists in the shower.
Then again, I suppose you can't believe anything the CDC or World Health Organizations write.
or can you?
Since you guys are so skeptical---read this:
Each year, between 8,000 and 18,000 people are hospitalized with Legionnaires' disease in the U.S. However, many infections are not diagnosed or reported, so this number may be higher. More illness is usually found in the summer and early fall, but it can happen any time of year. What are the symptoms of Legionnaires' disease?
Legionnaires' disease can have symptoms like many other forms of pneumonia, so it can be hard to diagnose at first. Signs of the disease can include: a high fever, chills, and a cough. Some people may also suffer from muscle aches and headaches. Chest X-rays are needed to find the pneumonia caused by the bacteria, and other tests can be done on sputum (phlegm), as well as blood or urine to find evidence of the bacteria in the body.
These symptoms usually begin 2 to 14 days after being exposed to the bacteria.
A milder infection caused by the same type of Legionella bacteria is called Pontiac Fever . The symptoms of Pontiac Fever usually last for
2 to 5 days and may also include fever, headaches, and muscle aches; however, there is no pneumonia. Symptoms go away on their own without treatment and without causing further problems.
Pontiac Fever and Legionnaires' disease may also be called "Legionellosis" (LEE-juh-nuh-low-sis) separately or together.
How serious is it? What is the treatment?
Legionnaires' disease can be very serious and can cause death in up to
5% to 30% of cases. Most cases can be treated successfully with antibiotics [drugs that kill bacteria in the body], and healthy people usually recover from infection.