legionella
/ˌliːdʒəˈnɛlə
/noun (plural legionellae /ˌliːdʒəˈnɛliː/) [mass noun]
1The bacterium which causes legionnaires' disease, flourishing in air conditioning and central heating systems: legionella could survive over a year inside pipes [count noun]: some legionellae are sensitive to this drug
- Legionella pneumophila, a motile aerobic rod-shaped (or filamentous) Gram-negative bacterium.
- Infection occurs from exposure to legionellae organisms in the environment.
- The legionella was discovered in the showers, water basins and toilets during a routine inspection.
1.1 informal Legionnaires' disease: whirlpool baths can trap water in the pump, risking legionella...
- When antibiotics active against atypical pathogens were used, only pneumonia related to legionella showed a statistically significant improvement in outcome.
- She stressed that the Health Board was satisfied, based on expert clinical advice and national protocols for managing legionella, that ‘there was and is no immediate danger to other patients, staff or visitors in the hospital’.
Origin
1970s: modern Latin, from legion + the diminutive suffix -ella.