Departments

Health and Human Services

Bucks County Health Department

-- Main --Bureau of Personal Health and Public Health Preparedness -- Bureau of Environmental Health --

Current Trends in Disease and Conditions

The Bucks County Department of Health monitors communicable disease and conditions through various methods.

Since the beginning of June 2003, we have noted a sporadic regional increase in Legionellosis. North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and Pennsylvania have had reported cases that reflect a slight increase in the usual number for the year

Bucks County has had four cases so far this year. For the past six years 1997- 2002, Bucks has averaged 5.8 cases per year.

FACTS ABOUT LEGIONELLOSIS:

An infection caused by the bacterium Legionella pneumophila
The disease has two distinct forms
Legionnaires' Disease and Pontiac Fever

An estimated 8.000 to 18,000 people get Legionnaires' Disease in the United States each year.

Legionnaires' Disease is not contagious from one person to another. People are infected by breathing in the bacteria from a water source such as whirlpool spas or air conditioning cooling towers.

Usual symptoms are fever, chills and cough, which may be dry or produce sputum. Some people also have muscle aches, headache, tiredness, loss of appetite and occasionally, diarrhea. Chest X-rays often show pneumonia. Lab tests can be performed on bronchial secretions, on a blood sample or on urine samples.

People that have pre-existing conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or other lung disease are more likely to have more severe illness. Antibiotic drugs such as erythromycin are used to treat Legionnaires' Disease.

 
Information adapted from CDC
Fact Sheet June 2001