I just got off the phone with a friend in Phoenix who just got out of the hospital. He caught Legionaires Disease in Bangkok. The incubation period was a couple weeks so he doesn't know exactly where he caught it.

It is an airborn disease that grows in air conditioning units. He felt so bad one day he called 911. He ended up being on full life support a couple of times while he was in the hospital.

Ken, it is our friend Jim the retired dentist. You were over there with him at the same time. He is OK now, just got out.

Have there been any other cases reported lately?

Legionnaire's Disease is a particularly bad form of pneumonia. Here is the link to the CDC about it for more info. Best wishes to your friend.

http://www.cdc.gov/legionella/patient_facts.htm

Sorry to hear about Jim, but I'm certainly glad he is doing b
better!

it must be the air on soi 4??

what hotel did he stay in?

According to Jaya's link from the CDC the incubation period is 2 - 14 days. I've not heard of a case in Thailand but it's very possible that the disease might be misdiagnosed as pneumonia.

From reading the CDC's information it is not necessary spread from the a/c of a hotel and people with weak immunity are more at risk:

The Legionella bacteria are found naturally in the environment, usually in water. The bacteria grow best in warm water, like the kind found in hot tubs, cooling towers, hot water tanks, large plumbing systems, or parts of the air-conditioning systems of large buildings. They do not seem to grow in car or window air-conditioners.

Perhaps from a "hot tubs" somewhere?

sheesh, now i have to worry about Legionnaire's Disease?

i met jim for a few hours over a couple of days. i think he visited phuket/pattaya, then someplace down south to visit your good buddy, then returned to bangkok.

i had no ill effects. perhaps the pneumonia vaccination i had a few months ago helped.

glad to hear jim is ok, and drilling as before.

stay dry, hanuman.

Sorry to hear about your friend, very glad he's ok now. I had Legionaires, 14 yrs ago, I caught it in Slovakia. they are right about the incubation period. I understand his plight, I was on life support and in a drug induced coma. People should not make light of it, it can be deadly. People don't have to worry about catching it from another person. It usually comes from bacteria in a/c unit or in my case a shower head not used in a while. Once you get it your usually immune for life against it. Is your friend a smaker? that is a contributing factor too.