Symptoms of Legionnaire's disease

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The symptoms start 2-10 days after first being infected. They include:

High fever with sweating,
Severe headache,
Shortness of breath. A pain in the side of the chest may result from the infection involving the pleura (the membranes that line the outside of the lungs),
A worsening cough, with greenish thick mucous (can be blood stained), and
Muscle aches and pains.

In severe cases, other systems of the body may be affected, leading to diarrhoea, vomiting, mental confusion and kidney and liver damage. The most serious effects are on the lungs, which is usually the cause of death.

The mortality rate in previously fit and well people is about 10%. If the disease is caught early, the out come is better.

Older people, (especially those with a pre- existing chronic lung disease) have higher mortality rates. There is also an increased risk of death for smokers and those whose immune system is suppressed by diseases such as cancer, kidney failure requiring dialysis, diabetes, or HIV.

Many people will experience fatigue, lack of energy, and difficulty concentrating, for some time after leaving hospital. Joint pain and muscle weakness is also fairly common. These symptoms may last for some months or less commonly for a year or two.

Respiratory tract symptoms may also persist for some months, including coughs and shortness of breath on exertion. Most people recover completely within one year.

Some people who come into contact with the bacteria will develop the less serious Pontiac fever, which causes a flu-like illness, which only lasts for a few days. The infection does not affect the lungs.

Research has shown that people may become infected with the bacteria without developing symptoms; so many cases of Legionnaires' disease may go undiagnosed.