Legionellosis

Statutory notification

• Legionellosis is a notifiable infectious disease in Western Australia.
• Alert: Legionella pneumophila cases must be reported urgently by telephone to the local public health unit within a few hours of first suspicion of diagnosis.
• Case definition: See surveillance case definitions for notifiable infectious diseases in Western Australia (PDF 495KB).
• Notification: Notify using the communicable disease notification form for metropolitan residents (PDF 214KB) or regional residents (PDF 213KB). For notification of regional residents see contact details of public health units.
• See also description of statutory medical notifications in Western Australia.

Public health summary

• Infectious agent: Most common species causing illness in Australia are Legionella pneumophila and L. longbeachae.
• Transmission: Airborne transmission by breathing in water droplets or air-borne liquid droplets that are contaminated by the bacteria.
• Incubation period: From 2-10 days.
• Infectious period: None. Person-to-person transmission has not been documented.
• Case exclusion: Do not exclude.
• Contact exclusion: Do not exclude.
• Treatment: Antibiotic treatment as recommended by the doctor.
• Immunisation: None available.
• Case follow-up: Conducted by local public health units, local government and the Department of Health.

Guidelines for public health units

• Legionellosis - CDNA National Guidelines for Public Health Units (external site)
• Environmental Health Guidance for Legionella control (external site)

Notifiable disease data and reports

• Notifiable infectious disease dashboard
  
• General infectious disease reports