Legionnaires' disease: guidance, data and analysis
The symptoms, diagnosis, management, surveillance and epidemiology of Legionnaires' disease.
Legionnaires’ disease is a severe pneumonia caused by the Legionella bacterium. People become infected when they inhale aerosols from a contaminated source.
Early symptoms include muscle aches, tiredness, headaches, dry cough and fever. Sometimes diarrhoea occurs and confusion may develop. Legionnaires’ disease can cause long term health problems.
Diagnosis and management
Further guidance is available on:
- Control and maintenance of water system affecting Legionnaire’s disease from Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
- Legionella and the prevention of legionellosis from WHO, 2007
- Legionella and other infectious agents in spa-pool systems from Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
The bacteriology reference department (BRD) offers a range of reference, confirmatory and referred tests for legionella.
Food, water and environmental laboratories carry out a range of specialist microbiology tests on food, water and environmental samples, and provide support required in the investigation of water-borne outbreaks such as Legionnaires’ disease.
Data submission
Legionnaires’ disease is a notifiable disease in England and Wales. Health professionals must inform local health protection teams of suspected cases. PHE collects data on notifiable diseases. This data helps healthcare professionals track identify clusters and prevent outbreaks whilst monitoring trends in disease occurrence over time.