Legionella

Legionella
Legionella sp. under UV light
Scientific classification
Domain:	Bacteria
Phylum:	Pseudomonadota
Class:	Gammaproteobacteria
Order:	Legionellales
Family:	Legionellaceae Brenner et al. 1979
Genus:	Legionella Brenner et al. 1979
Species
Legionella adelaidensis[1] Legionella anisa[1] Legionella beliardensis[1] Legionella birminghamensis[1] Legionella bozemanae[1] Legionella brunensis[1] Legionella busanensis[1] Legionella cardiaca[1] Legionella cherrii[1] Legionella cincinnatiensis[1] Legionella clemsonensis[2] Legionella donaldsonii[1] Legionella drancourtii[1] Legionella dresdenensis[1] Legionella drozanskii[1] Legionella dumoffii[1] Legionella erythra[1] Legionella fairfieldensis[1] Legionella fallonii[1] Legionella feeleii[1] Legionella geestiana[1] Legionella genomospecies 1 Legionella gormanii[1] Legionella gratiana[1] Legionella gresilensis[1] Legionella hackeliae[1] Legionella impletisoli[1] Legionella israelensis[1] Legionella jamestowniensis[1] Candidatus Legionella jeonii Legionella jordanis[1] Legionella lansingensis[1] Legionella londiniensis[1] Legionella longbeachae[1] Legionella lytica[1] Legionella maceachernii[1] Legionella maioricensis[1] Legionella massiliensis[1] Legionella micdadei[1] Legionella monrovica[1] Legionella moravica[1] Legionella nagasakiensis[1] Legionella nautarum[1] Legionella norrlandica[1] Legionella oakridgensis[1] Legionella parisiensis[1] Legionella pittsburghensis[1] Legionella pneumophila[1] Legionella quateirensis[1] Legionella quinlivanii[1] Legionella rowbothamii[1] Legionella rubrilucens[1] Legionella sainthelensi[1] Legionella santicrucis[1] Legionella shakespearei[1] Legionella spiritensis[1] Legionella steelei[1] Legionella steigerwaltii[1] Legionella saoudiensis[1] Legionella taurinensis[1] Legionella thermalis[1] Legionella tucsonensis[1] Legionella tunisiensis[1] Legionella wadsworthii[1] Legionella waltersii[1] Legionella worsleiensis[1] Legionella yabuuchiae[1] Legionella bononiensis[1]

Legionella is a genus of gram-negative bacteria that can be seen using a silver stain or grown in a special media that contains cysteine, an amino acid. It is known to cause legionellosis^[3] (all illnesses caused by Legionella) including a pneumonia-type illness called Legionnaires' disease and a mild flu-like illness called Pontiac fever.^[3] These bacteria are common in many places, like soil and water. There are over 50 species and 70 types (serogroups) identified. Legionella does not spread from person-to-person.^[4] Most individuals who are exposed to the bacteria do not get sick.^[5] Most outbreaks result from poorly maintained cooling towers.

The cell wall of the Legionella bacteria has parts that determine its specific type. The structural arrangement and building blocks (sugars) in the cell wall help classify the bacteria.