Legionnaires Disease
What is Legionnaires disease?
Legionnaires disease is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia that affects the lungs.
The risk of infection increases with age, but some are at higher risk including:
- People over 45 years of age
- Smokers and heavy drinkers
- People suffering from chronic respiratory or kidney disease, diabetes, lung or heart disease.
- Anyone with an impaired immune system.
How can you get Legionnaires disease?
You can get Legionnaires disease if you breath in tiny droplets of water containing bacteria that cause the infection. It is usually caught in places like hotels, hospitals, or offices where the bacteria have got into the water supply.
You can get the disease from things like:
- Air conditioning systems
- Humidifiers
- Spa pools and hot tubs
- Taps and showers that are not used often.
What can you do to prevent Legionnaires disease?
- Run all taps and shower heads for at least 2 minutes every week to flush standing water out of the pipes. If you have been on away for some time, step outside the room while you do this.
- Clean scale and other deposits from shower heads and taps every 3-6 months.
- Keep the hot water in your boiler system at a minimum of 60°C.
- Disconnect and empty any hosepipes when not in use.
- Contact Broadland immediately if you notice anything unusual about your water supply eg. discolouration, sludge and odour.
