You’d be forgiven for not having previously heard of Pontiac Fever; after all it sounds more akin to a 1980s street dance-themed movie than the name given to a non-fatal respiratory disease triggered by various species of bacterium discovered in the genus, Legionella. Nevertheless Pontiac Fever is a pretty nasty infection of the upper respiratory tract, the symptoms of which mimic acute influenza. Moreover, Pontiac Fever does have a habit of going beneath the radar so to speak, but then that’s not necessarily a bad thing when in the majority of cases it disappears as quickly/spontaneously (and clearly unobserved) as it arrived. The core difference between Pontiac Fever and the more problematic/potentially life-threatening co-bacterial strain, namely Legionnaire’s disease, is that the former doesn’t result in the onset of pneumonia in extreme cases.

As to the question of where Pontiac Fever gets its name and why, we have the state of Michigan in the USA to thank. Largely because it was the geographical location where (what went on to become known as Pontiac Fever) was first acknowledged and brought to the public’s attention. Back in 1968 a group of employees at the county’s department of health fell ill with fever, which presented flu-like symptoms, yet not pneumonia. Almost a decade later – and in the immediate aftermath of the notable Philadelphia outbreak of Legionnaire’s disease in 1976 – Michigan’s health department took steps to scrutinise blood samples collated from infected parties to determine the bacterial strain they were now dealing with.

When and where else has Pontiac Fever Made the Headlines?

In the intervening years, legionella species which have been identified as causing Pontiac Fever have been universally recognised, with New Zealand’s 2007 outbreak of particular interest. Not least, because it marked the first time Pontiac Fever had been traced to potting soil; then and there, some 10 nursery worker contracted Pontiac Fever are inhaling aerosolized potting soil according to experts drafted in to ascertain the root cause of the outbreak. Since then, it’s been established that along with potting soil, the other viable breeding grounds for Pontiac Fever are aquatic systems, much like legionella.

Again, mirroring Legionnaire’s disease, Pontiac Fever is not contagious, in as much as it’s not passed from individual to individual, with exposure coming from inhalation of either water droplets/vapour and/or interaction with potting soil contaminated by legionella bacteria. Studies undertaken suggest that young people are more susceptible to Pontiac Fever than any other demographic (late 20s/early 30s specifically), while gender or smoking tend not to increase risk. As it stands, nobody has ever succumbed to Pontiac Fever in the same way as Legionnaire’s disease, and for the most part past records show that episodes resolve without treatment. In terms of what other key variants of legionella are confirmed as hosts for the spread of Pontiac Fever, and to date these include Legionella pneumophila, Legionella longbeachae, Legionella feeleii, Legionella micdadei, and Legionella anisa; to afford the strains their full titles.

In Light of the Above, Do I Therefore Need to Follow Any Additional Protocol or Practice Regarding Existing Legionnaire’s Disease Procedure, To Remove Risk of Pontiac Fever?

In a word, no. Essentially, providing you are adhering to a current legionella control programme that has been put into place to eliminate the threat of this waterborne contaminant, then there is no further measures to take to combat the equally dormant prospect of Pontiac Fever. The predominant safeguards you can take to diminish the probability of Pontiac Fever, are the self-same ones you have actioned to combat Legionella per se, and above and beyond those, there’s no need for extra-curricular protection being enforced.  That’s not to say you should ever become complacent when it comes to Pontiac Fever, nor dismiss its potency to derail public health. Being mindful of what it is, how it might manifest (with reference to conditions/circumstances described earlier) and how its presence could well highlight latent legionella risks at some point in the future, is all priceless information to be equipped with.

Hypothetically, How Might You Contract Pontiac Fever?

While the etiology relating to Pontiac Fever is relatively clear, the same can’t be said for the circumstances which would prevail to make one person more susceptible to another, in terms of contracting the infection. What we do know however, is that Pontiac Fever is caused by an initial infection, with exposure to Legionella pneumophila and Legionella non-pneumophila (by inhalation of aerosols from contaminated water) at the heart of the matter; and that hosts include showers, whirlpools, spas and hot tubs. Also – as previously mentioned – the bacteria can be discovered in wet soil. What isn’t anywhere near as clear cut though, and remains unclear is just why infection with legionella evolves into either Legionnaire’s disease or Pontiac Fever, depending on individuals. Having said that, the latter tends to be observed more widely in immunocompetent patients, implying that immune system status could play a role in manifestation from one individual to the next.

If, as Reinforced in this Blog, By Ensuring Your Legionella Control Programme is effective and Habitually Followed Means Chances of Pontiac Fever Being Discovered are Significantly Diminished, What Constitutes a Sound Legionella Control Programme?

In the aftermath of arranging – and having a legionella risk assessment performed – then a robust control programme should always be applied thereafter. This includes routine monitoring and inspection of your water system, and therein maintaining  up-to-date records of findings as you go. Agreed to be carried out either weekly, monthly, quarterly or annually (as guided by the original legionella risk assessment team), a dedicated legionella control programme will cover various aspects of water system management. Typically we’re talking about everything from the flushing of outlets, descaling of taps, TMV servicing (including integrated filters) and water tank inspection, through to temperature observing, calorifier inspection (and blowdown) and records auditing amongst the key criteria. By continually running the rule over and verifying the transient condition of a water system found within your premises, serves as the first line of defence against the potential onset of legionella bacteria is whatever form it chooses to take. And is therefore a vital weapon to have in your Legionnaire’s disease AND Pontiac Fever artillery.