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Pontiac fever is an acute, nonfatal respiratory disease caused by various species of Gram-negative bacteria in the genus Legionella. It causes a mild upper respiratory infection that resembles acute influenza. Pontiac fever resolves spontaneously and often goes undiagnosed.
Temperature affects the survival of Legionella as follows: [93] 70 to 80 °C (158 to 176 °F): Disinfection range; At 66 °C (151 °F): Legionellae die within 2 minutes; At 60 °C (140 °F): They die within 32 minutes; At 55 °C (131 °F): They die within 5 to 6 hours; Above 50 °C (122 °F): They can survive but do not multiply
Legionella is a genus of gram-negative bacteria that can be seen using a silver stain or grown in a special media that contains cysteine, an amino acid.It is known to cause legionellosis [3] (all illnesses caused by Legionella) including a pneumonia-type illness called Legionnaires' disease and a mild flu-like illness called Pontiac fever. [3]
Legionnaires' disease is a form of atypical pneumonia caused by any species of Legionella bacteria, [3] quite often Legionella pneumophila. Signs and symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, high fever, muscle pains, and headaches. [2] Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may also occur. [1] This often begins 2–10 days after exposure. [2]
Legionella pneumophila, the primary causative agent for Legionnaire's disease, is an aerobic, pleomorphic, flagellated, non-spore-forming, Gram-negative bacterium. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] L. pneumophila is a intracellular parasite that preferentially infects soil amoebae and freshwater protozoa for replication.
Legionella pneumophila is the most common cause, but sometimes other species of Legionella bacteria also cause Legionnaires' disease. [ 15 ] [ 16 ] The terms "Philadelphia fever" and "Legion fever" appear to have been used at the time of the outbreak and for shortly thereafter, [ 17 ] although at least one 2008 source which covers disease in a ...
Members of the order Legionellales can be molecularly distinguished from other Gammaproteobacteria by the presence of four conserved signature indels (CSIs) in the proteins tRNA-guanine(34) transglycosylase, lipoprotein-releasing system transmembrane protein lolE and tRNA (guanosine(37)-N1)-methyltransferase TrmD.
Legionella testing typically involves collecting water samples and surface swabs from evaporative cooling basins, shower heads, faucets/taps, and other locations where warm water collects. The samples are then cultured and colony forming units (cfu) of Legionella are quantified as cfu/liter.