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Legionnaires disease has quickly become one of the most feared diseases in the world, since its relatively recent discovery in 1976. The disease is so called because the first outbreak affected members of the American legion, a military veterans association. Fortunately however, the disease is still very rare, and there have still been few actual outbreaks as bad as the initial case.

Legionnaires disease (Legionellosis) is caused by the bacteria of the legionalla family, although nearly all cases are caused by one bacteria in particular, Legionella pneumophila. In many respects, legionnaires disease is difficult to differentiate from other forms of pneumonia, which can often lead to misdiagnosis.

The symptoms of legionnaires disease include fever, chills, coughing, loss of appetite, muscle aches and occasionally a few other less common symptoms as well. Most seriously however, often Hyponatremia occurs. This is where the electrolytes of the body are disturbed, caused by abnormal functioning of the organs. There are a number of conditions that this can lead to, several of which are fatal.

Infection with Legionnaires disease usually happens when someone breathes in vapor containing the bacteria. The bacteria can be found in stagnant, warm water and is often associated with poorly maintained plumbing work. From here it is often spread due to poor ventilation, where water vapor can spread in large confined areas such as hotels, cruise ships prisons, schools etc. The majority of the reported outbreaks have been caused by contaminated air conditioning systems, which spread the bacteria to a large number of people.

Although many outbreaks of Legionnaires disease tend to receive a lot of press attention, most cases tend to be isolated, and affect only one or a handful of people. There are thought to be around 15000 cases each year in the United states, although many cases are often mistaken for other types of pneumonia. Also many cases aren't ever reported, as most people recover by themselves without seeking medical treatment specifically for legionnaires.

Similarly to Legionnaire's Disease, Pontiac fever is also caused by the same bacteria, although the symptoms are less severe. The infection rate of Pontiac fever however is a lot higher than Legionnaire's Disease, being over 90% of people exposed compared to less then 5%. Pontiac fever is also not fatal, and usually does not require hospitalization in most cases, unless the patient is particularly frail or has a weak

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