eMedicine Specialties > Emergency Medicine > Infectious Diseases

Legionnaires Disease: Multimedia

Author: Frank C Smeeks lll, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Frye Regional Medical Center
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Jun 1, 2009

Multimedia

This electron micrograph depicts an amoeba, <EM>H...
(Enlarge Image)
Media file 1: This electron micrograph depicts an amoeba, Hartmannella vermiformis (orange), as it entraps a Legionella pneumophila bacterium (green) with an extended pseudopod. After it is ingested, the Legionella pneumophila bacterium can survive as a symbiont within what then becomes its protozoan host. The amoeba then becomes what is referred to as a "Trojan horse," for by harboring the pathogenic bacteria, the amoeba can afford them protection, and in fact, in times of adverse environmental conditions, are able to metamorphose into a cystic-stage enabling it, and its symbiotic resident pathogens to withstand such environmental stresses. Image courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Dr. Barry S Fields.
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This electron micrograph depicts an amoeba, <EM>H...

This electron micrograph depicts an amoeba, Hartmannella vermiformis (orange), as it entraps a Legionella pneumophila bacterium (green) with an extended pseudopod. After it is ingested, the Legionella pneumophila bacterium can survive as a symbiont within what then becomes its protozoan host. The amoeba then becomes what is referred to as a "Trojan horse," for by harboring the pathogenic bacteria, the amoeba can afford them protection, and in fact, in times of adverse environmental conditions, are able to metamorphose into a cystic-stage enabling it, and its symbiotic resident pathogens to withstand such environmental stresses. Image courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Dr. Barry S Fields.

More on Legionnaires Disease

Overview: Legionnaires Disease
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Legionnaires Disease
Treatment & Medication: Legionnaires Disease
Follow-up: Legionnaires Disease
Multimedia: Legionnaires Disease
References
Further Reading
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References

  1. CDC. Summary of notifiable diseases, United States 1995. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. Oct 25 1996;44(53):1-87. [Medline].

  2. [Guideline] Mandell LA, Wunderink RG, Anzueto A, Bartlett JG, Campbell GD, Dean NC, et al. Infectious Diseases Society of America/American Thoracic Society consensus guidelines on the management of community-acquired pneumonia in adults. Clin Infect Dis. Mar 1 2007;44 Suppl 2:S27-72. [Medline].

  3. Amsden GW. Treatment of Legionnaires' disease. Drugs. 2005;65(5):605-14. [Medline].

  4. Blanquer J, Blanquer R, Borras R, et al. Aetiology of community acquired pneumonia in Valencia, Spain: a multicentre prospective study. Thorax. Jul 1991;46(7):508-11. [Medline].

  5. CDC. Legionnaires disease associated with a whirlpool spa display--Virginia, September-October, 1996. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. Jan 31 1997;46(4):83-6. [Medline].

  6. Cunna B. Legionnaire's disease - Case studies in infectious disease. Emerg Med. 1992;24:227-234.

  7. Falco V, Fernandez de Sevilla T, Alegre J, Ferrer A, Martinez Vazquez JM. Legionella pneumophila. A cause of severe community-acquired pneumonia. Chest. Oct 1991;100(4):1007-11. [Medline].

  8. Lane G, Ferrari A, Dreher HM. Legionnaire's disease: a current update. Medsurg Nurs. Dec 2004;13(6):409-14. [Medline].

  9. Marrie TJ, Haldane EV, Noble MA, Faulkner RS, Martin RS, Lee SH. Causes of atypical pneumonia: results of a 1-year prospective study. Can Med Assoc J. Nov 15 1981;125(10):1118-23. [Medline].

  10. Marston BJ, Lipman HB, Breiman RF. Surveillance for Legionnaires' disease. Risk factors for morbidity and mortality. Arch Intern Med. Nov 14 1994;154(21):2417-22. [Medline].

  11. Palmer L. Legionella pneumonia - Cardiopulmonary problems in the office. Emerg Med. 1992;24:84-94.

  12. Reingold AL. Role of legionellae in acute infections of the lower respiratory tract. Rev Infect Dis. Sep-Oct 1988;10(5):1018-28. [Medline].

  13. Shah A, Check F, Baskin S, Reyman T, Menard R. Legionnaires' disease and acute renal failure: case report and review. Clin Infect Dis. Jan 1992;14(1):204-7. [Medline].

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Further Reading

Other resources

Legionellosis Resource Center

Clinical guidelines

Infectious Diseases Society of America/American Thoracic Society consensus guidelines on the management of community-acquired pneumonia in adults. Mandell LA, Wunderink RG, Anzueto A, Bartlett JG, Campbell GD, Dean NC, Dowell SF, File TM Jr, Musher DM, Niederman MS, Torres A, Whitney CG. Infectious Diseases Society of America/American Thoracic Society consensus guidelines on the management of community-acquired pneumonia in adults. Clin Infect Dis 2007 Mar 1;44 Suppl 2:S27-72. [335 references] PubMed

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Keywords

Legionnaires disease, Legionnaires' disease, Legionella pneumophila, L pneumophila, atypical pneumonia, pulmonary infection, Pontiac fever, community-acquired bacterial pneumonia, CAP

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Frank C Smeeks lll, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Frye Regional Medical Center
Frank C Smeeks lll, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Physician Executives, American Medical Association, and North Carolina Medical Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Eric M Kardon, MD, FACEP, Attending Emergency Physician, Georgia Emergency Medicine Specialists; Physician, Division of Emergency Medicine, Athens Regional Medical Center
Eric M Kardon, MD, FACEP is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

Jeter (Jay) Pritchard Taylor III, MD, Compliance Officer, Attending Physician, Emergency Medicine Residency, Department of Emergency Medicine, Palmetto Health Richland, University of South Carolina; Medical Director, Department of Emergency Medicine, Palmetto Health Baptist
Jeter (Jay) Pritchard Taylor III, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Association, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

John D Halamka, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Chief Information Officer, CareGroup Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School; Attending Physician, Division of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
John D Halamka, MD, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Rick Kulkarni, MD, Medical Director, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Section of Emergency Medicine, Yale-New Haven Hospital
Rick Kulkarni, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Association, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Disclosure: WebMD Salary Employment

 
 
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