Indoor Air Quality
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Legionnaires’ Disease
The bacterium was first identified in 1976 after an outbreak of pneumonia amongst
persons attending a convention of the American Legion -
The disease develops within two to ten days and may manifest itself with symptoms
such as: fever, cough, breathlessness, chest pain, nausea and vomiting, upper respiratory
tract infection, general feeling of discomfort (malaise), loss of appetite, drowsiness/giddiness.
The fatality rate is high and can be up to 30 percent, especially amongst the middle-
We don't hear much about this disease until it is associated with a major outbreak involving fatalities of office workers or visitors to public buildings. This leads us to the perception that the disease is rare. Not so. Legionnaire's disease goes often undetected, because the symptoms are very similar to that of influenza and, to discover Legionellosis, requires special laboratory tests. Pneumonia deaths may occur without knowing that the cause was the Legionella bacteria.
The bacterium thrives in warm and stagnant water, and a person has to inhale minute water droplets containing these nasty contaminants. Just this sentence limits the search for the breeding grounds. While the media attention is on contaminated cooling towers in large buildings, your home, too, may be harbouring the bacterium. It can be present in your own evaporative cooling system or humidifier; and may be sprayed into the air in whirlpool spas, baths, showers and decorative fountains. The droplets are tiny enough to be carried by air movements for considerable distances.
Cleanliness and disinfection is the key to minimising the risk of infection. Maintain your spa or pool regularly and add the recommended dose of disinfectant. Manufacturers can help by designing spas or pools that don't allow water to remain in pipes or filters after use. Avoid stagnant water and flush the plumbing before use. Legionella likes warm temperatures but despises heat. If you can, treat the equipment with hot water that has a temperature of more than 60 degrees Celsius.
Legionnaire's disease and its relative, Pontiac fever, are two forms of Legionellosis:
an acute respiratory disease that is caused by Legionella pneumophila or a closely
related strain of a bacterium found primarily in warm water environments. Serious
pneumonia, sometimes fatal, is the predominant indicator of legionnaire’s disease;
whereas, Pontiac fever is a milder illness and presents itself with flu-
Specific Health Problems
