Legionnaires' disease is a disease that "causes serious pneumonia (lung infection)" (http://tinyurl.com/83p7449) and is caught by "breathing in droplets of water which contain Legionella bacteria. The illness is fatal in some cases" (http://tinyurl.com/83p7449). However, the Legionella may not always lead to Legionnaires' disease, in some cases it can lead to "Pontiac fever. This is when the bacteria cause a flu-like illness but it is not usually serious" (http://tinyurl.com/83p7449).
The history of where the name for Legionnaires' disease came from is when; "in 1976 an outbreak of pneumonia occurred among American legionnaires (ex-servicemen) who attended a conference. 221 people developed pneumonia and 34 died" (http://tinyurl.com/83p7449).
The Legionella bacterium "thrives in water, and is often spread through water droplets from cooling systems, shower heads and taps, but cannot be spread from person to person" (The WEEK 15th October 2011) with around "35°C being the optimum temperature" (http://tinyurl.com/83p7449). So, "In the UK, and in many other countries, there are regulations on how to maintain water supplies and air conditioning systems used in large buildings" (http://tinyurl.com/83p7449). This therefore limits the risk of Legionnaires' disease in the countries where water system regulations are in place.
The statistics (all from http://www.primec.co.uk/stats.htm);
-1980-2001 there were 150 to 250 cases reported to the scheme each year.
-From 2002 onwards, that number climbed; with over 550 cases in 2006.
-Hospital Episode Statistics for 2005–2006 showed that over 300,000 cases of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) were admitted to hospital in England. Over 293,000 were never specified further; studies demonstrate that a significant proportion of these can probably be attributed to Legionnaires’.
-The unusually high case numbers in 2006 occurred predominantly over the summer months.
The idea that cases predominantly happened in the summer months of 2006 follows the evidence that the Legionella bacteria thrive in water with an optimum temperature of 35°C (most likely achieved in the summer months).
The reason why I picked up on this story is because last year (August 2011) "nine people who were diagnosed with Legionnaires' were found to have travelled to Corfu, Greece" (The WEEK 15th October 2011). This shows that there is a risk where you travel; even in the European Union where there are a number of regulatory bodies. But don't be worried because it is a very rare disease and has a very low risk in the United Kingdom.
The story of the nine cases that I mentioned were followed up by the United Kingdom's Health Protection Agency and the story of how they tried to find the source of the illness can be read at this URL; http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16084823.
The history of where the name for Legionnaires' disease came from is when; "in 1976 an outbreak of pneumonia occurred among American legionnaires (ex-servicemen) who attended a conference. 221 people developed pneumonia and 34 died" (http://tinyurl.com/83p7449).
The Legionella bacterium "thrives in water, and is often spread through water droplets from cooling systems, shower heads and taps, but cannot be spread from person to person" (The WEEK 15th October 2011) with around "35°C being the optimum temperature" (http://tinyurl.com/83p7449). So, "In the UK, and in many other countries, there are regulations on how to maintain water supplies and air conditioning systems used in large buildings" (http://tinyurl.com/83p7449). This therefore limits the risk of Legionnaires' disease in the countries where water system regulations are in place.
The statistics (all from http://www.primec.co.uk/stats.htm);
-1980-2001 there were 150 to 250 cases reported to the scheme each year.
-From 2002 onwards, that number climbed; with over 550 cases in 2006.
-Hospital Episode Statistics for 2005–2006 showed that over 300,000 cases of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) were admitted to hospital in England. Over 293,000 were never specified further; studies demonstrate that a significant proportion of these can probably be attributed to Legionnaires’.
-The unusually high case numbers in 2006 occurred predominantly over the summer months.
The idea that cases predominantly happened in the summer months of 2006 follows the evidence that the Legionella bacteria thrive in water with an optimum temperature of 35°C (most likely achieved in the summer months).
The reason why I picked up on this story is because last year (August 2011) "nine people who were diagnosed with Legionnaires' were found to have travelled to Corfu, Greece" (The WEEK 15th October 2011). This shows that there is a risk where you travel; even in the European Union where there are a number of regulatory bodies. But don't be worried because it is a very rare disease and has a very low risk in the United Kingdom.
The story of the nine cases that I mentioned were followed up by the United Kingdom's Health Protection Agency and the story of how they tried to find the source of the illness can be read at this URL; http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16084823.
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