As a general rule, Legionnaires disease is almost indistinguishable from more mundane forms of pneumonia. However, you should watch out for these potential warning signs, which may indicate you have been infected with Legionnaires:

1. People in your building are getting sick
   • Legionnaires disease spreads through contaminated water sources, meaning it can spread through drinking water, hot water heaters, and cooling towers, among other things. This means if you live in an apartment and your water system is infected, it is possible your entire building may be getting sick.
2. Other people near you are not getting sick
   • On the other hand, the fact that Legionnaires disease spreads through water means that it does not normally transmit through the air like other forms of pneumonia. If you are sick with pneumonia but everyone else is fine, it may mean your condition is not the result of Legionnaires.
3. You drank water from somewhere you normally don’t
   • Any water source can potentially be contaminated by the Legionella bacteria that causes Legionnaires disease. If you get sick after drinking water from a source you do not normally use, it is possible that the water source is contaminated.
4. You recently used a hot tub or swimming pool
   • Of course, people are not only exposed to Legionnaires by drinking it. The bacteria that causes it can often be found in hot tubs and swimming pools, where the warm, wet conditions are ideal for the disease to spread.
5. You recently spent time in the hospital
   • It is a sad fact that hospitals are some of the most common places for people to get sick, and even they are not immune to potential Legionnaires disease. If you get pneumonia after a hospital stay, it is possible that it is the result of contaminated water from the hospital’s water system.
6. You have recently stayed in a hotel or cruise ship
   • Vacations can be a lot of fun, but they can also be a great way to get sick, with many people contracting Legionnaires while staying at a hotel or motel. Cruise ships are also notorious for spreading contagion among vacationers, with Legionnaires being a relatively common unwanted stowaway on such journeys.
7. You have recently traveled to another country
   • If you have traveled to another country, you should be especially concerned about a potential Legionnaires infection. Many foreign countries do not have the same strict health and safety standards as the United States, increasing the risk of a Legionnaires disease outbreak.

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