A group of bacteria that includes the species L.pneumophila, a rod shaped, waterborne bacteria known to cause Legionnaire’s disease in humans. This disease resembles pneumonia and is caused by the inhalation of airborne water droplets contaminated by Legionella pneumophila & other bacteria of the family Legionellaceae. There are more than 50 identified species of Legionella and about 70 serogroups, with Legionella pneumophila (SG1 and SG2) being the species causing more than 80% of the detected cases of the disease.
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