# legionnaires?



## kyle1745 (Feb 15, 2004)

Anyone see this post on frognet?
http://lists.frognet.org/private.cgi/fr ... 20583.html

Or Dendroworld:
http://www.dendroworld.co.uk/forum/view ... =45&t=4592


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## stchupa (Apr 25, 2006)

Never ending. The threats posed by having anything containing moisture, stale, disconnect, set apart of a self purifying environment, free flowing and unabated is and has been more than just a commonality in the life of man. At least ever since man has tried to barricade himself from the natural surroundings. Sure, multiplied to double digits by anyone having anything like a viv today. I hate to say occurences like these are rare, (not as rare as would be found in nature) but for the most part I think they are, extremely. If you have any compromise health wise it may be something to consider more so, much more so, and thus try to minimize your risk by trading one activity for another. The pathogen itself probably isn't rare, likely very common in most if not all homes, but it's potential to even gain a host is.

My guess would be your more likely to die from taking a shower after coming home from a week long vacation. That seems to be a far more direct/likely route of contractabilty. Not really a new development to threats for life on Earth and something I plan to not lose any sleep over. Though not something to forget or pretend as if it doesn't exist or couldn't happen to anybody. People don't think, or don't care to think of the complex ecology happening anywhere below the scale of there own. Many of the organisms living amongst our own bodies, w/in our own mouths are still being documented/discovered so use your imagination what's beyond our self recognition living in environments only devised by what humans inadvertantley (only recently) have conjured. Palaces for anything that couldn't exist otherwise. One, of many, many.


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## imitator83 (Jan 5, 2006)

The little I know about Legionnaires disease suggests that it is really only a concern if you are immunocompromised. If you have some form of cancer, or other condition that affects your immune system, this is a major concern. Then again, if you are immunocompromised, you probably shouldn't have a lot of contact with frogs and their environments at all anyways. Not a big problem to people in good health, but if you don't have an immune system, frog tanks are not a good idea. Some more research should be done about this, but I would not be overly concerned, just aware of the possibility. I'll look into it and ask a few friends from work, they may have some more insight.
Scott


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

smoking is also a risk factor for it.. 

see http://www.emedicine.com/ped/topic1288.htm

Ed


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## CanadianScientist (Sep 15, 2007)

Something i can actually provide some input into.

Alittle background on myself, I'm an Immunopathologist in Alberta Canada, and i specialize in Auto-immune dieases, but lately my research has come to look into the area of the Immune systems functions in reguards to solid state tumours, prior to obtaning my PhD in immunopath, i was doing various things in microbiology, and all the fun stuff an undergrad in these fields do at times. (including learning from a proffessor who studied Legionellosis)

I'll write alittle bit, but if you dont want to read any further then this, pretty much all i have to say, is you have no need to worry about this bacterium.

It is named Legionnaires’ disease, because its 1st outbreak (and remember an outbreak is 2 or more people getting the same diease, at the same place/time) occured during an Legionnaries meeting in Philly, in the mid 60's if i recall, the culprit, was found to be located in a stagnet water in an AC unit, thus the bacterium was spread threw the whole conference....of eldery people i might add.

With that, the most suspectable is the elderly, and anyone with lung problems, and of course anyone immunocompromised (but they are suspectable to everything)

Legionnaires’ disease infects lest then 20,000 people a year in the U.S (i just checked the U.S census... 301,139,947 people live in the states..not even close to half a % point)and if i recall, mortality is really low, and often those that do die, are those that have an already weak immunsystem to begin with.

So unless your 65, smoke, and are on chemo, and never, ever clean your Viv's, or change the water, this shouldnt even be a thought in your head.

And even if you choose not to believe anything i say, just do alittle research, check the WHO, or the CDC, its a well known, well studied bacterium, and you'll find heaps of offical information on it.


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## Rambo67 (Jun 12, 2006)

I meant to post this when it happened, but couldnt find this thread.

http://wjz.com/topstories/local_story_235161058.html

About a month old, but a case of the disease here in Baltimore.


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