Description:

Legionnaires' disease

Legionnaires' disease is a lung infection you can get from inhaling droplets of water from things like air conditioning or hot tubs. It's uncommon but it can be very serious.

How you get Legionnaires' disease

You can get Legionnaires' disease if you breathe in tiny droplets of water containing bacteria that causes the infection.

It's usually caught in places like hotels, hospitals or offices where the bacteria have got into the water supply. It's less common to catch it at home.

You can get Legionnaires' disease from things like:

air conditioning systems
humidifiers
spa pools and hot tubs
taps and showers that are not used often

You cannot usually get it from:

drinking water that contains the bacteria
other people with the infection
places like ponds, lakes and rivers

Check if you have Legionnaires' disease

Symptoms of Legionnaires' disease include:

a cough
difficulty breathing
chest pain
a high temperature
flu-like symptoms

Urgent advice: Get advice from 111 now if:

you cannot breathe properly
you have chest pain
you feel like you have severe flu

111 will tell you what to do. They can arrange a phone call from a nurse or doctor if you need one.

Go to 111.nhs.uk or call 111 .

Other ways to get help

A GP may be able to help you.

Ask your GP surgery for an urgent appointment.

Tell the GP where you have been in the past 10 days, such as if you stayed in a hotel, spa or hospital.

Treatment for Legionnaires' disease

You may need to go into hospital if you're diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease.

Treatment in hospital may include:

antibiotics given directly into a vein
oxygen through a face mask or tubes in your nose
a machine to help you breathe

When you start to get better you might be able to take antibiotic tablets at home. Antibiotic treatment usually lasts 1 to 3 weeks.

Most people make a full recovery, but it might take a few weeks to feel back to normal.

Page last reviewed: 22 October 2020
Next review due: 22 October 2023