Legionnaire’s Disease : Severe Form Of Pneumonia
British government’s initiative to put asylum-seekers on a housing barge suffered as Legionella bacteria were found on the barge.
- Migrants are removed from the Bibby Stockholm barge after traces of the bacteria causing Legionnaire’s disease were found in the onboard water system.
- Legionnaire’s disease is a severe form of pneumonia lung inflammation usually caused by infection.
- It’s caused by a bacterium known as legionella.
- This bacterium is found in lakes and ponds, but they can also develop in tanks and other water systems.
- The most common form of transmission of Legionella is inhalation of contaminated aerosols from contaminated water.
- The main symptoms are fever, chills, headache, malaise and muscle pain (myalgia).
- Treatments exist, but there is no vaccine currently available for Legionnaires’ disease.
