It is transmitted by small water droplets containing the bacteria in the air. These droplets can then be inhaled. Possible sources of infection include showers, whirlpools, humidifiers or faucets, as well as cooling towers. There are many other possible sources of infection.

Important: Legionella is not transmitted from person to person.

Most legionella-related infections have a mild course. They begin with flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache and joint pain. Some may experience chest pain and a cough. Usually the disease is limited to 2 to 5 days. Severe cases of the disease are associated with high fever (above 39°C), shortness of breath, cough and chills.

People at increased risk of developing severe disease are people with a weak immune system, such as older people, smokers or people taking immunosuppressive therapy. Men are more often affected than women, whereas children rarely develop the disease.

Pneumonia caused by legionella must always be treated with antibiotics. It is often necessary for a person infected with legionella to be admitted to a hospital.
In case of a local outbreak it is important to recognize and quickly eliminate the source of the infection in order to prevent further infections.

• There is no vaccination against legionella.
• If you have not used the faucets, bathtub or shower at home for a long time (ie. during holidays) run the water for at least one minute while ventilating the room before using them again.
• Due to the energy price crisis, some homeowners have reduced the temperature in their heating systems to save costs. Nevertheless, you should make sure that the hot water temperature is set to at least 60°C to eliminate the risk of legionella. The temperature in the pipes should not fall below 55°C.