Lexington health officials report uptick of serious type of pneumonia. What to know
Lexington health officials report they are seeing an increase of cases of a serious type of pneumonia in the Fayette County area.
In a Thursday press release, the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department said the agency has seen in increase in cases of Legionnaires’ disease. The county has reported “about 5 cases,” communications officer Kevin Hall told the Herald-Leader. The area typically doesn’t see any cases of the disease.
“It’s still under investigation to find out the causes and what we’re looking at,” Hall said.
Legionnaires’ disease is caused by the legionella bacteria, and the LFCHD said the uptick could be caused by more widespread use of outdoor pools and hot tubs this summer, including stagnant water caused by recent rainfall.
Here’s what to know about the disease and the cases in Lexington.
How do you contract Legionnaires’ disease?
A person contracts the disease when they breathe in droplets of water that contain legionella bacteria, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Groups more at risk of contracting the disease include those ages 50 and older, current or former smokers, people with chronic lung disease and those with compromised immune systems.
According to the CDC, the U.S. had 10,000 reported cases of Legionnaires’ disease in 2018. A recent study estimates cases could be 1.8 to 2.7 times higher than what it usually reported, as the disease is often underdiagnosed.
Legionnaires’ disease is usually not spread person-to-person, but can be on rare occasions. About 1 in 10 people who get sick with the disease die, according to the CDC.
Hollie Sands, the LFCHD’s epidemiology coordinator, said legionella bacteria grows best in 77- to 113-degree temperatures.
“With our warm temperatures that we’ve recently been having, it’s been growing and so all of a sudden it’ll flush out and it’ll go out of our shower heads and our faucets,” she said.
Because of this possibility, people should run their unused faucets and shower heads, and flush unused toilets at least once a week to keep water moving through the lines.
Sands said most cases in the U.S. have been linked to hot tubs, which are the perfect temperature for the bacteria to grow.
“If we don’t keep our chlorination levels at the proper level and clean our pools and spas out properly, this bacteria can grow,” she said.
What are the symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease?
Symptoms of the disease are similar to most cases of pneumonia. They include, from the CDC:
- Cough
- Fever
- Shortness of breath
- Headaches
- Muscle aches
People with the disease usually start to notice symptoms two to 14 days after coming into contact with the bacteria. If you start to develop any symptoms of pneumonia and think you may have Legionnaires’, visit a doctor right away.
Pontiac fever is another form of Legionnaires’ disease, but is not as severe. The CDC reports the most common symptoms of pontiac fever are muscle aches and a fever. Those with this illness do not get pneumonia.
How is legionnaires’ disease treated?
Legionnaires’ is usually diagnosed with a urine test or a laboratory test using lung phlegm, according to the CDC. Most cases of Legionnaires’ are treated successfully with antibiotics.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, some typical antibiotics used to treat the disease include azithromycin, rifampin, levofloxacin and tetracycline.
This story may be updated.
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This story was originally published July 6, 2023 at 3:01 PM.
