See your GP if you are concerned that you have symptoms that you think may be the result of Legionnaires’ disease.
You should inform your GP if you have recently spent time in a building that could be vulnerable to a legionella infection, such as a hotel or a hospital. Also let them know if you have travelled away from home and stayed in a hotel in the UK or abroad. It is estimated that around a third of Legionnaires’ disease cases are caught outside England and Wales.
This information will be helpful in confirming a diagnosis and possibly allowing the health authorities to pinpoint the source of the infection.
Urine test
Legionnaires’ disease can be diagnosed using a urine test. The Legionella bacteria shed proteins called antigens, which can be detected in a urine sample.
Further tests
Further tests, such as a blood test or a chest X-ray, may be recommended to assess the effect of the infection on your overall health and on organs, such as your lungs and kidneys.
Notifiable disease
Legionnaires’ disease is a notifiable disease. This means that if a doctor diagnoses the condition, they must tell the local authority under the Public Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulations (1988). The authority will try to identify the source of the outbreak and put in place any necessary precautionary measures.
If you are able to provide the name of the hotel you stayed in while abroad, the UK Public Health authorities will contact the Public Health authorities in that country so that the hotel can be inspected.
