
This digitally colorized scanning electron microscopic image depicts a large number of Legionella pneumophila bacteria. CDC
Legionella bacteria causes Legionnaires’ disease, a serious type of pneumonia. According to the US Center for Disease Control, about 1 in 10 people who get sick with Legionnaires’ disease will die.
The threat from Legionnaires’ disease is compounded by the fact that those afflicted by this disease tend to display the same symptoms as corona virus patients, i.e., cough, chills and fever, which increase the risk of misdiagnosis.