HOT-TUB LEGIONELLOSIS - LEGIONNAIRES-DISEASE AND PONTIAC FEVER AFTER A POINT-SOURCE EXPOSURE TO LEGIONELLA-PNEUMOPHILA

Legionella pneumophila is associated with outbreaks of either Pontiac fever, a self-limited influenzalike condition without pneumonia, or Le gionnaires' disease, a severe pneumonic disease affecting elderly or i mmunocompromised individuals. An outbreak of both Legionnaires' diseas e and Pontiac fever after a point-source exposure to L pneumophila was studied. Our observations demonstrated the spectrum of illness that L pneumophila may cause and emphasized the importance of host factors i n affecting the expression of infection.