How you get Legionnaires’ disease
You can catch Legionnaires’ disease if you breathe in tiny droplets of water containing bacteria that cause the infection.
It’s usually caught in places like hotels, hospitals or offices where the bacteria have got into the water supply. It’s very rare to catch it at home.
You can catch it from things like:
- air conditioning systems
- spa pools and hot tubs
- showers, taps and toilets
You cannot usually get it from:
- drinking water containing the bacteria
- other people with the infection
- places like ponds, lakes and rivers
When to get medical help
Urgent advice:Get advice from your GP now if
you have a bad cough and:
- it does not go away
- you cannot breathe properly
- you have severe chest pain
- you have a high temperature or feel hot and shivery
- you feel like you have severe flu
These could be symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease.
If you are unable to contact a GP and you are very unwell, you may need to go to your emergency department (ED).
FoodWorld 