Symptoms and treatment

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of Legionnaires' disease are similar to the symptoms of the flu:

• high temperature, feverishness and chills;
• cough;
• muscle pains;
• headache; and leading on to
• pneumonia, very occasionally
• diarrhoea and signs of mental confusion

How is it treated?

The illness is treated with an antibiotic called erythromycin or a similar antibiotic.

What to do

• If you develop the above symptoms and you are worried that it might be Legionnaires' disease, see your general practitioner.
• Because it is similar to the flu, it is not always easy to diagnose. A blood or urine test will be helpful in deciding whether an illness is or is not Legionnaires' disease. When doctors are aware that the illness is present in the local community, they have a much better chance of diagnosing it earlier.
• If you suspect that you may have got the illness as a consequence of your work then you are advised to report this to your manager, as well as your health and safety representative and occupational health department, if you have one. There is a legal requirement for employers to report cases of Legionnaires' disease that may be acquired at their premises to the Health and Safety Executive