Be careful during the vacation season: Legionella in hot water
Especially during the vacation season, we often hear about legionella bacteria. However, very few people know what exactly is behind it, where you should be careful and where you can take preventative measures.
Legionella bacteria are originally environmental germs that occur in small numbers in damp and wet environments. With hot water systems, air conditioning systems, cooling towers and bubble or steam baths, humans have created perfect ecological niches that favor the proliferation and spread of Legionella and pose a threat to public health. Legionella multiply in stagnant water between 25 °C and 45 °C and can survive up to a temperature of 63 °C.
Infection with Legionella occurs via inhalation of contaminated steam or contaminated humid air and not via drinking contaminated water. If legionella enters the deep sections of the lungs, an infection can occur. This usually leads to pneumonia or a flu-like illness (Pontiac fever). Pneumonia or legionellosis has a very high mortality rate: it leads to death in 5 - 15 % of people who contract the disease.
Where is there a risk of infection?
There is a risk of infection during vacations wherever fine water particles (droplets) can form. Examples of this are
- Showers and spout fittings
- Bubble baths (jacuzzi, whirlpools)
- Turkish baths and saunas
- Cooling towers
- Air conditioning and ventilation systems
- Decorative fountains, especially inside buildings
- Food displays or any other installations with a nebulizer or humidifier
How can I prevent legionella on vacation?
Very strict control requirements apply in Switzerland, which is why infections are extremely rare in this country. However, these regulations do not apply everywhere abroad. So what should you bear in mind, for example, when taking over a vacation home?
- Leave the water running: Legionella multiply in stagnant water, e.g. if a vacation home has not been lived in for a long time. Therefore, when you move in, flush the pipes with hot and cold water for at least 10 minutes before using them. This applies not only to washbasins and kitchen sinks, but especially to showers and bathtubs. Be careful not to inhale vapors while rinsing! The shower head can be rinsed directly via the drain or immersed in a bucket of water, for example.
- Check the water temperature: Hot water temperatures of 55 °C-60 °C in the distribution system are the most reliable way of preventing the proliferation of legionella bacteria. To check the water temperature, let the water run for two minutes and then measure it. If no thermometer is available: Hands can only withstand this temperature for a few seconds.
- Check boiler settings: Legionella survive up to a temperature of 65 °C. So, if possible, check boilers for the set temperature. This should be at least 60 °C.
- Avoidance: Weakened people, i.e. immunocompromised, organ transplant patients, diabetics or people with heart failure should avoid using facilities that pose a risk of infection from legionella, such as steam, thermal and bubble baths.
Media contact:
Jenny A. Albert
GRIP Agency AG
Email: jenny.albert@grip-agency.ch
Tel.: +41 79 550 50 15