subject: Testing Your Water For Legionella Bacteria [print this page] Legionnaire's Disease is a potentially deadly disease caused by the legionella bacteria. The disease was first discovered when it caused a mass outbreak in a 1976 American Legion convention, which is where it earned its name. Outbreaks of Legionnaire's disease often occur in the summer and autumn.
Legionnaire's disease is often misdiagnosed as pneumonia because the symptoms are similar. Like pneumonia, the symptoms include a high fever, cough, chills and body aches. Legionnaire's disease can be fatal in up to 50 percent of cases. The usual treatment is a course of antibiotics.
The disease is contrasted by breathing in contaminated water droplets from ventilation systems or by drinking contaminated water. Hospitals, hotels, cruise ships, spas and prisons are the usual sources of the bacteria because they use large water cooling systems and complicated systems for storing water for drinking and bathing. The spores thrive in these systems and once the water is contaminated it has the potential of infecting dozens of people.
Many countries recommend testing large water systems or ventilation units regularly for the spores. The Health and Safety Executive of the United Kingdom recommends legionella testing at least every three months and more often if the unit has had tested positive for the problem previously. This testing can help prevent outbreaks of the disease.
Testing for the spores is often carried out by using a dip slide, which is a testing strip that grows the bacteria in an agar substrate on the strip. If the bacteria is identified, the entire unit must be drained and disinfected. Organizations and businesses can purchase the tests in bulk from online retailers and through many health agencies.
Another way to test for the legionella bacteria is to collect water samples from the water system, cooling tower, pool or spa. Some health agencies and researchers recommend that aerators are removed from the water system before testing because the aerators can cause a false negative result. In addition, hospitals and organizations that have previously tested positive for the bacteria should use both the dip slide test and the water collection method of testing to be sure that the bacteria isn't present.
Individual homes typically do not have to test their water. Your simple water heating system and drinking water supply are probably safe and to date there is no scientific evidence that individual habitations are at risk from contamination.
Buildings with complicated water systems can safeguard against and prevent outbreaks by installing a water disinfection system. These systems can be as simple as using a system of filters designed to clean out bacteria or as complicated as installing a copper-silver ionization system or a superheating and flushing mechanism. Even with a water filtration of disinfection system in place, organizations should test every three months.
No matter is you are running a hotel, hospital or a spa, your organization is responsible for the health and safety of your patrons. Testing for the legionella bacteria is the responsible thing to do to prevent illness, and your organization can be held liable if your water system causes an outbreak. Check your national as well as local ordinances to make sure that you are adhering to the guidelines.
