About Legionella

    Legionella pneumophila is a facultative intracellular pathogen, and is the causative agent of Legionnaires' disease and other pneumonias, especially in immunocompromised hosts. The bacteria infect, multiply within and eventually kill macrophages; they themselves avoid destruction by preventing fusion of the phagosome with lysosomes of the macrophage. They can also infect free-living amoebae, and are nearly ubiquitous in warm fresh water supplies (e.g., air-conditioning cooling towers).

More information:

  The European Working Group for Legionella Infections

Taxonomy            Under the microscope

        Legionellosis-1                     Legionellosis-2

      
Legionella pneumophila 
                          Image: Dennis Kunkel