By Milburga Rodríguez Rivera
Translation by Patricia Roxana Solórzano
Translation by Patricia Roxana Solórzano
The name derives from the first outbreak in the 1976 Latin American Convention held in Philadelphia. During the outbreak they believed that the virus was transmitted through the air conditioning systems, resulting in 34 deaths (18.7% of the total of 182 cases). New information has concluded that the virus was transmitted through the water supply of the hotel that hosted the convention.
Legionella is a pulmonary infection caused by the bacteria Legionella pneumophilla, an aquatic organism found mostly on water and that has also been found on soil.
Transmission may occur in hospitals, hotels, spas and other places that use contaminated water. Ingesting or aspiring a few drops that contain the bacteria is enough to acquire the disease, which produces diarrhea, vomit, fever, difficulty to breathe, headaches, and ultimately death. The disease can be treated and cured if the appropriate treatment is administered on time.
There’s not an accurate estimate of the number of people who have died because of the bacteria, since the identification and treatment varies in each country. In Europe there are 4,546 possible cases of death caused by this disease.
The different types of Legionella are still affecting people around the world and in spite of the sanitary measures, new cases demonstrate that it has not been eradicated.
Legionella is a pulmonary infection caused by the bacteria Legionella pneumophilla, an aquatic organism found mostly on water and that has also been found on soil.
Transmission may occur in hospitals, hotels, spas and other places that use contaminated water. Ingesting or aspiring a few drops that contain the bacteria is enough to acquire the disease, which produces diarrhea, vomit, fever, difficulty to breathe, headaches, and ultimately death. The disease can be treated and cured if the appropriate treatment is administered on time.
There’s not an accurate estimate of the number of people who have died because of the bacteria, since the identification and treatment varies in each country. In Europe there are 4,546 possible cases of death caused by this disease.
The different types of Legionella are still affecting people around the world and in spite of the sanitary measures, new cases demonstrate that it has not been eradicated.
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