Legionnaire's disease

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Legionnaires' Disease is a type of pneumonia or lung infection. It causes 2% of pneumonia cases that need hospital treatment.

The disease came to be known as Legionnairesâ€™ disease, or legionellosis in 1976. Over 40 different strains of the Legionella germ have now been discovered.

Outbreaks tend to occur in healthy people staying in hotels or other buildings in which the cooling systems or showers have become contaminated by Legionella germs. They may also occur as single cases in which the source of the germs is uncertain. About three-quarters of all British cases occur as isolated instances rather than as epidemics. In most of these cases the source of the germs is not found.

It usually affects middle-aged or elderly people and it more commonly affects smokers or people with other chest problems.

There is also a much milder, form of the disease caused by various Legionella germs, which does not involve the lungs. This is a flu-like illness is known as Pontiac fever.