Legionella pneumophila

Legionella pneumophila
Colorized scanning electron micrograph image of L. pneumophila
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Bacteria
Phylum: Pseudomonadota
Class: Gammaproteobacteria
Order: Legionellales
Family: Legionellaceae
Genus: Legionella
Species:
L. pneumophila
Binomial name
Legionella pneumophila
Brenner DJ, Steigerwalt AG, McDade JE 1979

Legionella pneumophila is an aerobic, pleomorphic, flagellated, non-spore-forming, Gram-negative bacterium.[1][2] There are fourteen serogroups of L. pneumophila. L. pneumophila is a facultative intracellular parasite that infects soil amoebae and freshwater amoeboflagellates for replication.[3][4] This pathogen is thus found commonly near freshwater environments[5] and invades the unicellular life, using them to carry out metabolic functions.[6] Due to L. pneumophila’s ability to thrive in water, it can grow in water filtration systems, leading to faucets, showers, and other fixtures and then spread through aerosolized water droplets.[6]

L. pneumophila is also the causative agent of Legionnaires' disease, also known as legionellosis.[4] Due to the nature of replication of the bacteria, it is able to reproduce freely in human macrophages.[4] Once infected, this bacterium can cause pneumonia with symptoms such as fever, delirium, diarrhea, and decreased liver and kidney function.[7] L. pneumophila infections can be diagnosed by a urine antigen test.[8][9] The infections caused by the bacteria can be treated with fluoroquinolones and azithromycin antibiotics.[8]

  1. ^ Madigan M, Martinko J, eds. (2005). Brock Biology of Microorganisms (11th ed.). Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-144329-1.
  2. ^ Heuner K, Swanson M, eds. (2008). Legionella: Molecular Microbiology. Caister Academic Press. ISBN 978-1-904455-26-4.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference pmid7451664 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c Winn Jr WC (1996). "Legionella". In Baron S (ed.). Medical Microbiology (4th ed.). University of Texas: The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. ISBN 0-9631172-1-1. PMID 21413250.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Uzel_2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference pmid24185913 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Djordjevic Z, Folic M, Petrovic I, Zornic S, Stojkovic A, Miljanovic A, et al. (May 2022). "An outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in newborns in Serbia". Paediatrics and International Child Health. 42 (2): 59–66. doi:10.1080/20469047.2022.2108672. PMID 35944175. S2CID 251468797.
  8. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Viasus_2022 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).