Can children contract Legionnaires’ disease?

Are children under the age of 2 years at risk of contracting Legionella? If they do contract the infection what is the prognosis or mortality?

Children do, indeed, contract Legionella. The ones at greatest risk are immunosuppressed (e.g. transplant recipient, receipt of corticosteroids) or those hospitalized (especially neonates). In the hospital, the disease is contracted by Legionella in the drinking water. The mortality in reported cases was 33%.

If you are a physician, we can send you a preprint of details of the 76 children who have contracted LD. If you are not a physician, you should know the risk is extremely low.