title: Legionnaires' disease: respiratory infections caused by Legionella bacteria.
abstract: This article provides a review of Legionnaire's Disease, a bacterial pneumonia caused by Legionella species, and of Pontiac Fever, the flu-like illness caused by these microorganisms. The authors draw on their personal experience with major human outbreaks of Legionnaire's Disease and with animal models of Legionella pneumonia. Emphasis is placed on the sources in nature from which legionellosis is acquired, the means of dissemination of bacteria, the epidemiology of human infections, the pathogenetic mechanisms of disease and host defense, the clinical manifestations, and the treatment.
authors.affiliation: University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington.
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Winn
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D006801:Humans; D007875:Legionella / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology; D007877:Legionnaires' Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents