The Health Bureau (SSM) said in a statement yesterday that a 69-year-old local man has been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease (aka Legionellosis), becoming this year’s fifth reported case.
According to the statement, the patient has a history of chronic diseases. Last Wednesday, the patient visited the emergency department of the public Conde de Sao Januário Hospital Centre (CHCSJ) due to shortness of breath, the statement said.
Auxiliary examinations, the statement said, revealed right-sided pleural effusion and aspiration pneumonia*, prompting immediate hospitalisation.
Yesterday, according to the statement, a respiratory test sample from the patient tested positive for Legionella pneumophila, leading to a diagnosis of Legionnaires’ disease.
The statement pointed that the patient is in critical condition, requiring ventilator support, receiving further treatment in the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU).
The patient had no recent travel history prior to the onset of illness, and cohabiting family members have shown no symptoms of illness, the statement said.
The statement pointed out that Legionellosis, with an incubation period of between two and 10 days, is an infectious disease caused by Legionella bacteria thriving in warm water between 20 and 45 degrees Celsius and in warm and moist places, such as artificial water systems including massage pools, fountains, and household respiratory medical equipment.
The statement underlined that males, senior citizens, smokers, drinkers and those with weakened immune systems, especially those with chronic medical conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, chronic lung or kidney disease, and patients receiving steroids or other immunosuppressive drugs are at increased risk of catching the disease.
* Pleural effusion is a condition where excess fluid builds up in the pleural space, i.e., the space between the lungs and the chest wall. It’s a finding, not a disease itself. Think of it as a symptom or a consequence of an underlying problem. Aspiration Pneumonia is an infection of the lung tissue caused by inhaling foreign material – like food, liquid, or stomach acid – into the lungs. It’s a disease process. - DeepSeek
This image shows a Legionella-biofilm-cross-section. Photo courtesy of the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
