Hot tub legionellosis. Legionnaires' disease and Pontiac fever after a point-source exposure to Legionella pneumophila.

Legionella pneumophila is associated with outbreaks of either Pontiac fever, a self-limited influenzalike condition without pneumonia, or Legionnaires' disease, a severe pneumonic disease affecting elderly or immunocompromised individuals. An outbreak of both Legionnaires' disease and Pontiac fever after a point-source exposure to L pneumophila was studied. Our observations demonstrated the spectrum of illness that L pneumophila may cause and emphasized the importance of host factors in affecting the expression of infection.