Legionellosis | IAS GYAN

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Context

Argentina’s mystery pneumonia outbreak, where 11 people have been infected and four have succumbed to the illness, has finally been identified as Legionellosis by the country’s health ministry.

Legionellosis

Legionellosis is a “pneumonia-like illness that varies in severity from mild febrile illness to a serious and sometimes fatal form of pneumonia,” according to the WHO.
The disease typically spreads via inhalation of contaminated aerosols from contaminated water, which could come from — air conditioning cooling towers, evaporative condensers associated with air conditioning and industrial cooling, hot and cold water systems, humidifiers and whirlpool spas.
Direct human-to-human transmission of this disease has not yet been reported, according to the WHO. But another study analysed this global public health concern and found that “Legionella pneumophila–infected humans may indeed contribute to the spread of these highly disease-causing strains by linking modern man-made water systems through human transmission.
The burden of legionellosis disease (LD) appears to be growing in Europe and at least 450 people still die of LD each year in the European Economic Area.