Preventing Legionnaires' Disease

According to CDC, 8,000 to 18,000 people are infected annually with Legionnaires' disease, a type of pneumonia caused by Legionella, a bacterium found primarily in warm water environments. To provide some background on the disease and its prevention, HC Info has posted a free recording of its webinar, "Legionella: An Update for Building Operators, Engineers, and Water Treaters." HC Info founder Matt Freije discusses current issues related to disease prevention, ASHRAE 188P (Prevention of Legionellosis Associated with Building Water Systems), HACCP water plans and Legionnaires'-related lawsuits.

Here are some fast facts from CDC about the disease:

• The bacterium was named after an outbreak in 1976, when many people who went to a Philadelphia convention of the American Legion suffered from this disease.
• Legionella bacteria are not transmitted from person to person.
• People get Legionnaires' disease or Pontiac fever when they breathe in a mist or vapor (small droplets of water in the air) that has been contaminated with Legionella bacteria.
• Keeping Legionella bacteria out of water is the key to preventing infection.
• Most people with Legionnaires' disease will have pneumonia (lung infection) since the Legionellabacteria grow and thrive in the lungs.