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Swimming in some lakes with nonetheless water can result in an infection with Legionella, micro organism that may trigger pneumonia, and individuals who have interaction in open water swimming ought to concentrate on this threat, say the authors of a follow article printed within the Canadian Medical Affiliation Journal.
“Legionella infection represents a public health hazard owing to its ability to spread through exposure to natural water bodies and human-made water reservoirs,” writes Dr. Ashley Bryson, an inner drugs resident on the College of Manitoba, with co-authors.
Legionella an infection is an atypical reason for community-acquired pneumonia. Known as legionnaires’ illness, it presents with fever, fatigue, respiratory signs, and typically diarrhea. Legionella micro organism thrive within the heat, stagnant water in plumbing techniques, air conditioners, public spas, and even lakes and rivers.
Threat elements for legionnaires’ illness embody age older than 50 years, smoking historical past, continual cardiovascular or kidney illness, diabetes, and a compromised immune system.
The 77-year-old affected person described within the article had visited Iowa and swum in a pure lake two weeks earlier. Over 4 days of accelerating weak spot mixed with fever, cough, and recurring sudden falls in his house, he visited the emergency division. Given his journey exercise, clinicians suspected legionnaires’ illness after preliminary normal antibiotic remedy didn’t deal with his pneumonia.
Fewer than 100 circumstances of legionnaires’ illness are reported per 12 months however, as analysis is difficult, circumstances could also be underreported.
“Clinicians should consider legionnaires’ disease in patients with pneumonia that does not improve despite the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, especially if the pneumonia is severe, occurring in immunocompromised patients or patients with recent travel history, or when only antimicrobials without activity against atypical pathogens have been administered,” the authors suggest.
Extra data:
Legionnaires’ illness following lake swimming in Iowa, Canadian Medical Affiliation Journal (2025). DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.241086. www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.241086
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Canadian Medical Affiliation Journal
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Swimming in some lakes can result in an infection with Legionella, warn scientists (2025, February 18)
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