Prepping for Legionnaires’ Disease

Legionnaires' Disease

Legionnaires’ Disease
What preppers need to know about this bacterial disease

Legionnaire's Disease, got its name from a 1976 outbreak in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, when people from the American Legion convention became ill.

Legionnaires’ Disease, which can lead to pneumonia and death, is
caused in warmer months by the Legionella bacteria which may
be present in warm fresh waters. This respiratory disease is
sometimes found in hot tubs, hot water tanks, large plumbing
systems, air conditioning units of large buildings and even
decorative fountains.

Legionnaires' Disease and what a prepper needs to know
Knowledge is everything when in comes to prepping for
Legionnaires’ Disease. Here are some basic facts about the
Legionella bacteria:

How does someone get sick from the Legionella bacteria?
When a person breathes the mist containing the Legionella
bacteria, the individual may become ill. Sometimes the
bacteria causes an infection that seems more like a mild
case of the flu, but when the infection reaches the lungs to
cause pneumonia, it's a cause for concern.

How common is Legionnaire's Disease? It's not as
uncommon as you might think, and this waterborne illness
continues to kill and harm right here in the United States
and Canada. Annually, there are 8,000-18,000 hospitalized
cases occur in the U.S., most recently:

California: A case at San Quentin broke out in August
2015.

Illinios:

In late September, 2015, L egionella bacteria surface d in
three suburban I llinois schools . The problem stemmed
from the cooling towers at the schools.
In late August the Illinois Department of Veteran's
Affairs also confirmed an outbreak in residents at the
Illinois Veterans Home- Quincy; however there were no
known deaths.

Ontario, Canada had 34 cases in five weeks of 2013:
M ost cases of Legionella occur in Ontario July through
October.

Flint, Michigan's water also tainted with Legionella
bacteria. As if the lead poisoning wasn't problem
enough, now officials face more bad news: a Flint
h ospital made the connection to Legionella bacteria.

New York has a case of Legionnaires Disease - May
10, 2016. A nursing home in Auburn, NY confirmed the
Legionella bacteria in its drinking system. New York
also was the focus of a Legionnaires' Disease outbreak
in August 2015: 119 people and left 12 dead in a New
York City outbreak:

Above, PBS looks into what caused the Legionnaires outbreak in New York
City.

Legionnaire's disease is a form of pneumonia (lung disease)
that's on the rise. In the PBS New Hour video above, cooling
towers were seen as most problematic; however, new evidence
suggests that smokers are most at risk.

What is Legionnaires’ Disease?
Legionnaires' Disease is a bacterial disease that closely
resembles other types of pneumonia. The bacterium Legionella
pneumonia, which can be found in potable and non-potable
water, seems to attack people with weakened immune systems.

About the bacteria. Legionella is the bacteria that causes
Legionnaires’ disease. The bacterium, Legionella
pneumophilam can be detected in rivers, lakes, and streams
as they are natural inhabitants of the water. Bacteria are
microscopic. These single-cell organisms live almost
everywhere. While most are harmless, or even beneficial,
the Legionella bacteria is deadly. About 5-30% of the cases
reported are fatal; however, many cases go unreported and
are classified as pnemonia.

Who gets Legionnaires'?
Anyone can get Legionnaires' Disease, but some people are more
susceptible:

Smokers. Smoking may increase risk of developing
Legionnaires' disease if exposed to Legionella bacteria.
Smokers are most at risk for inhaling the disease. Current or
former smokers are most at risk through aspiration, which is
usually defective in smokers. Essentially the protective
mechanisms to prevent aspiration is defective in these
people.

Children, elderly and people with diabetes, etc.. People
most at risk, other than smokers, include children and the
elderly, as well as people with compromised immune
systems, or those who have diabetes or lung disease.

People who inhale mist. Anyone is at risk who may inhale
mist from water with the bacterium, which may come from:

hot tubs
showers, faucets and plumbing systems
air-conditioning units in large buildings, including
hospitals
mist machines and humidifiers
natural water sources

Treatment of Legionnaires' Disease
Legionnaires' Disease may be treated with antibiotics, including
erythromycin or rifampicin. Sometimes patients also receive
tetracycline. Many also receive pulmonary care, including use of a
nebulizer and oxygen to ease the lungs. Patients may also
benefit from steam inhalation treatments and cough
suppressants.

Antibiotics will cure most patients. The trio of antibiotics
physians may choose include:

azithromycin - treats certain bacterial infections,
including Bronchitis, Pneumonia, STD; and Infections of
the ears, lungs, sinuses, skin, throat, and reproductive
organs
erythromycin - treats bacterial infections such as
Bronchitis, Diphtheria, Legionnaires' Disease, Pertussis
(Whooping Cough), Pneumonia, Rheumatic Fever, and
Venereal Disease.
clarithromycin - belongs to the class of medicines
known as macrolide antibiotics. It works by killing
bacteria or preventing their growth, making it an
effective choice for physicians treating Legionnaires'
Disease.

What you need to know about Legionnaires Disease...

Can not be spread person to person. Thankfully,
Legionnaires’ can not be spread from person to person;
HOWEVER, the disease contracted in two ways:

breathing in water vapor containing the bacteria.
Basically, infected water vapors show up in air
conditioners, showers, faucets and other plumbing
systems. It can also show up in hot tubs, and cooling
towers.
aspiration (secretions in the mouth that get to the
esophagus and stomach). Usually the aspiration may be
defective in smokers and in people who already have a
lung disease, as the protective mechanisms to prevent
aspiration is defective in these people.

Symptoms: This deadly disease shows up as flu-like
symptoms, including:

fever, chills and malaise
headaches
muscle aches
coughing
diarhhea

NOTE:

Pontiacs Fever

is very similar.

linicians will note

the

lu-like illness

without pneumonia

for diagnosis.

Risks:

Outbreaks are common in the summer and early fall.
People most at risk include children and the elderly,
particularly those who have compromised immune systems:

patients with cancer, diabetes, or kidney failure
patients chronic asthma and emphysema
smokers are in the highest risk category

Travellers are also at risk. (More than 20% of all cases are
thought to be associated with recent travel.)
Exposure to whirlpool spas is an epidemiological risk factor.

Incubation: The incubation period is from two to 10 days
after exposure.

Dealing with Legionnaires’
How can Legionnaires' Disease be prevented? With impending
danger of Legionnaires’ you should consider filtering your water.

If you don't smoke, don't have a chronic lung disease or
chronic illness such asthma and emphysema), and don't have
a weak immune system, you have less to worry about. You
mostly just need to skip the hot tubs to live happily ever
after!

If you're a plumber over 50, and have all those conditions
listed above, then maybe you should take a break during the
outbreak to avoid exposure.

Prevention of Legionnaires’ Disease:
What can preppers do to avoid Legionnaires' Disease? Here's a
simple list:

Avoid hot tubs. Legionella bacteria grow in areas of warm
water, which is perhaps the top reason to avoid hot tubs
during an outbreak, particularly with public hot tubs. Another
reason to avoid hot tubs is that you can contract
Legionnaires’ by breathing in the vapors (aerosolized water,
such as steam, mist and moisture), its advisable to avoid
hot tubs during an outbreak.

Avoid public places that use air conditioning, including
hotels, apartment buildings and offices, which are not
required to test for it.

Hospital, hotel and prison water heaters. The presence of
legionellae in water heaters is well documented.

Hospital, hotel and prison water holding tanks. The
presence of legionellae in holding tanks is also well
documented.

Hospital air compressor systems -- because it's not
uncommon to have excess water at times in compressed air
lines.

Legionnaires Disease an epidemic, not a pandemic. An epidemic
is the rapid spread of a localized disease; while a p andemic has
world-wide proportions.

Happy endings...
While Legionnaires' Disease is cause for concern in that there is a
5-30% case mortality rate, the good and happy news is that it's
treatable with antibiotics, and during treatment patients do not
require quarantine. Thankfully, most people who get Leginonaires
Disease will recover.

Another good thing is that Legionnaires' Disease doesn't transmit
person to person!

Related articles...

Did you know... Many water filtration products do not protect
users against foodborne or disease-causing bacteria, viruses, or
germs! If viruses or smaller bacteria are suspected, you'll need to
use your water filter in conjunction with water purifier tablets.
Pictured right, are Potable Aqua water purification tablets, which
make questionable water bacteriaiologically suitable to drink.

Pictured right, Lifestraw removes minimum 99.9% of waterborne
protozoan parasites (>LOG 3 reduction) and filters to an amazing
0.2 microns

Prepare to live happily ever after with us at happypreppers.com - the emergency
preparedness Web site of prepping, survival, homesteading, and self-reliance.

------------------------------------------------- Revised 04/01/2021
(C) Copyright 2012-2021 by HappyPreppers.com. All rights reserved. The site happily targets concerned
citizens who are self-reliant survivalists, preppers and homesteaders with original content on survival following
societal collapse. You may link to our site, but you may not reproduce any part of our content, or store our
content in any retrieval system to represent it as your own. Further, you may not transmit content in any other
form or by any means, including (but not limited to) electronic, photocopy, mechanical, or recording without
written consent. HappyPreppers.com makes no warranties.

HappyPreppers.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising
program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Alpha XR,
amazonsupply.com, or myhabit.com.

Thanks for visiting h appypreppers.com!

This article on the Legionella bacteria has been archived by waybackmachine.org and saved 9 times between
March 24, 2016 and March 31, 2021. This helps protect our copyright.

sitemap
privacy policy

Big Berkey Filtration System

Hot tubs can harbor dangerous Legionnaires' Disease

Water treatment tablets

LifeStraw Water Filter

Happy Preppers site for survivalists + preppers

Prepper Deal Alerts Check
our daily deals for prepping
gear and food storage.

Emergency heat sources that don't require electricity

Emergency water pouches