Lincoln County had one of the state’s 18 cases of Legionnaires’ disease this year as Maine and other parts of New England saw a substantial rise, but state officials say it is important to put the one-year increase in perspective.
Even though the number of cases of Legionnaires’ disease is up (the average is about 10 a year), it remains at a relatively low level, said Maine State Epidemiologist Dr. Stephen Sears.
Legionnaires’ disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by a bacterium (Legionella) that grows best in warm water, and is often found in environments like hot tubs, cooling towers, hot water tanks and large plumbing systems or air conditioning systems.
People with compromised immune systems or people who smoke are more likely to contract the disease but it is not spread from person to person.
Because Maine and other states along the East Coast, as well as parts of eastern Canada, have seen a rise in the number of cases this year, the Maine Center for Disease Control (CDC) released a health alert last week.
Dr. Russell Mack, Chief Medical Officer of Lincoln County Healthcare, said Legionnaires’ disease is unusual but it can appear spontaneously in the community and the health alert will make doctors quicker to test for it.
Dr. Mack said even with the rise in the number of cases of Legionnaires’ disease, if someone has pneumonia, it is much more likely to be one of the more common forms. Regardless of the cause, anyone who has the symptoms of pneumonia and does not seem to be getting better should immediately contact their primary care physician or go to the emergency room, said Dr. Mack.
The symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease, like other forms of pneumonia, include a high fever, chills, cough, chest pain and muscle aches.
Nobody in Maine has died from the disease this year but people in other parts of the country have, said Dr. Sears.
Because the bacteria that causes it grows best in warm water, one theory holds that this year’s increased number of cases could be related to an unusually warm and wet fall but Dr. Sears said that so far, health officials have not come up with a unifying theory for the increase.
“We ask the questions but we haven’t come up with a specific reason,” he said.
The disease and the bacteria got their name following an outbreak in 1976 during an American Legion convention in Philadelphia and outbreaks have been associated with hotels, fountains and cruise ships in the past. So far, however, all of Maine’s cases have been individual, meaning that no common source appears to link any of the cases.
Risk factors for Legionnaires’ disease or Pontiac fever include: Recent travel that included an overnight stay outside the home; exposure to whirlpool spas; recent repairs or maintenance work on domestic plumbing; renal or hepatic failure; diabetes; smoking; and, immune system disorders.
Additional information about Legionnaires’ disease is available at: www.maine.gov/dhhs/boh/ddc/epi/airborne/legionellosis.shtml and www.cdc.gov/legionella/index.htm.
