[Legionnaires' disease--risk factors and symptoms].

The analysis of published data concerning demographic and medical risk factors and clinical manifestation and outcome observed in Legionella pneumonia were presented in this study. The aim of this study was to discuss the problem of high diversity of symptoms of legionnaires' disease as well as risk factors frequency presented in patients with legionellosis. The different risk factors and clinical picture of Legionella pneumonia were presented, depending on kind of infection (sporadic/epidemic), populations and place of infection (travel-associated, nosocomial, community-acquired). The high percentage of patients with legionellosis and with digestive symptoms (15-70%) was pointed. The presence of digestive symptoms like: diarrhea, vomiting, nausea might cause problem in diagnosis because of suggestion of another etiological agent. Moreover, the hypothesis of M.Sabria et al. regarding the correlation between the exposure and kind and clinical manifestation of Legionella pneumonia was discussed.