Who is most at risk of contracting Legionnaires’ Disease?

People that are at risk of contracting Legionnaires’ Disease are those who: Have weakened or supressed immune systems, due to age or certain medical treatments, such as chemotherapy or following organ transplantation; Have heart conditions or bronchitic synonyms, including asthma; Smoke or have alcohol or drug dependency problems.

At some time or another, you will almost certainly have patients visiting the practice who fall into the ‘at risk’ categories for contracting Legionnaires’ Disease.

Where does Legionella bacteria come from and what causes it to grow?

Legionella bacteria are naturally found in the environment, usually in ponds, streams and reservoirs. Small but not dangerous numbers can be found int the hot and cold supply.

Poor temperature control within a water system, deadlegs in pipework and taps and showers that are infrequently used and not regularly flushed, can cause the bacteria to grow very quickly. At this point, there is a real risk of people contracting Legionnaires’ Disease.