infections
Legionella Infections
Diagnosis ofLegionellaInfections
Culture and analysis of a sample of sputum or fluid from the lungs Sometimes urine tests To diagnose the infection, doctors take samples of sputum or fluid taken from the lungs and send them to a laboratory to grow (culture) and identify the bacteria. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing may be done. It increases the amount of the bacteria's DNA and thus makes the bacteria easier to identify. A sample of urine may be checked for specific substances produced by the bacteria ( Antigen tests ). These tests cannot detect some types of A chest x-ray is taken to check for pneumonia. 