About Pontiac Fever
Revised 2/2019
- Download a print version of this document:
Pontiac Fever Fact Sheet (PDF)
On this page:
What is Pontiac fever?
What are the symptoms?
Who is at risk?
How is it spread?
How is it treated?
What is Pontiac fever?
- Pontiac fever is a mild flu-like illness caused by exposure to Legionella bacteria, which is found in water.
- It often does not require treatment.
- More about About Legionnaires’ Disease
What are the symptoms?
- Symptoms include:
- fever
- chills
- headache
- muscle aches
- loss of appetite
- tiredness
- and occasionally diarrhea
- Symptoms generally occur within 24-48 hours of exposure to Legionella bacteria.
Who is at risk?
-
Persons of any age are at risk for Pontiac fever.
How is it spread?
- Pontiac fever is spread by breathing in water droplets in the air that contain  Legionella bacteria.
- Persons can be exposed to these water droplets in their homes, at work, in hospitals, or other public places.
- Pontiac fever is not spread from person to person.
How is it treated?
- Pontiac fever is usually not treated with antibiotics.
- Most people recover within 2-5 days.
Spotlight
Legionellosis (Legionella) Information for Hot Tub Owners and Operators
Information about how to minimize the risk for Legionella exposure from hot tubs.
Annual Summary of Communicable Diseases Reported to the Minnesota Department of Health, 2019
MDH collects disease surveillance information on certain communicable diseases to determine disease impact, assess trends in disease occurrence, characterize affected populations, prioritize disease control efforts, and evaluate disease prevention strategies.
Invasive Bacterial Disease Surveillance Report 2017 (PDF)
Full report, including Group A Streptococcus, Group B Streptococcus, Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Legionellosis
Contact us:
If you have questions or comments about this page, use our IDEPC Comment Form or call 651-201-5414 for the MDH Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention and Control Division.