The control of legionnaires disease in water handling systems Essay

The control of legionnaires disease in water handling systems - Essay Example More than 90 per cent of the exposed persons become ill, but pneumonia does not take place and full improvement can be expected. Legionella bacteria are obviously dispersed in ponds, streams, lakes, rivers, soil, mud and underground water. In 1976, a conference held at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel, more than 182 Legionnaires developed pneumonia and more than 29 people died from what was then an unidentified disease. Finally, the bacterium that was accountable for the disease was inaccessible and named Legionella pneumophila, and the disease related with it became known as Legionnaires disease. The cause of this particular bacterium was at last exposed to be the hotels ventilation and humidification system. Under favorable circumstances, Legionella bacteria may build up in cooling towers, evaporative condensers, hot water systems, spas and humidifiers. The quick expansion of Legionella pneumophila is supported by a wet, warm atmosphere, stagnation or low water return, high microbial attentiveness including algae, amoebae, slime and other bacteria, existence of biofilm, scale, sediment, sludge, corrosion products, existence of certain materials such as natural rubber fittings which may be a nutrient cause. Legionnaires’ disease is generally passed on when aerosol mists holding high attentiveness of Legionella bacteria are gulped into the lungs. Drinking water and washing in water having small numbers of Legionella is not acknowledged to result in infection. Person-to-person diffusion is also not acknowledged to occur. Sporadic and epidemic types of Legionnaires disease take place in Australia. Legionella infections are thought to account for 5-20% of community-acquired pneumonias. Occurrences in Australia are usually related with man-made water systems as well as water-cooling towers and spa baths. Home and institutional warm water systems are prospective causes of Legionella infectivity but are only infrequently implicated