Abstract

Antibiotics are the first-line therapy for Legionella pneumonia. Failure to administer appropriate antimicrobial therapies at early stage of infection is associated with high mortality rates. The correct choice of antibiotic depends not only on its in vitro bactericidal or bacteriostatic activity but also on its ability to penetrate the cell membrane of host tissues because Legionella resides within host tissue cells. Fluoro-quinolones and macrolides are the most commonly used and highly effective antibiotics to treat patients with legionnaire’s disease.

Keywords: Legionnaires disease; Azithromycin; Fluoro-quinolone resistance; PCR assays; Ciprofloxacin; Aspartate aminotransferase