How to control Legionella pneumophila

https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/legionnaires/index.html

          We have been talking about Legionella pneumophila’s structure, life cycle, optimal growth conditions, and even it’s preferred nutrients. In todays blog post, I will be changing it up a little bit. I chose to write about how to control Legionella because it is a severe form of pneumonia. 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legionella#/media/File:Legionella_Plate_01.png

          It’s important to control the conditions in which bacteria can grow. Some common food sources for Legionella, and most bacteria, are rust, biofilms, and sediment or debris. Rust, iron oxide, is one of the most common sources of nutrients for Legionella. Legionella can not only eat the rust, but also the surface of the metal causing structural weaknesses over time. A biofilm is a layer of microorganisms that stick together to protect the bacteria under it. For it to occur, there only has to be 3 conditions that must be met: moisture, bacteria, and a surface. Common locations for biofilms are in water storage tanks and if found, a professional can help remove it.

 

https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/legionnaires/index.html#anchor_1490279874

          Legionella participates in complex interactions between itself, the environment, and the host so one can actually control growth in several ways. The most obvious would be to find and eliminate the aquatic source of infection. This is a very effective control mechanism because it’s like stopping something straight at the source.  We went over how to prevent Legionellainfections by checking the house for rust, biofilms, and any sediments inside the house. If you already have a Legionella pneumophilaproblem, you have to go through tedious and expensive decontamination processes. The most common way of eliminating the bacteria is by periodic superheating of water and continuous chlorination. Both of these processes are difficult to perform because they cause other problems such as scalding and deterioration of plumbing systems, respectively. That being said, elimination of Legionellacompletely is unlikely. Most times, it would be cheaper and easier to replace the contaminated area of possible. The good news is that there is a vaccine available for preventing Legionella. The bad news (for now) is that it is still in the works and has only been tested on experimental animals. Just because there is not a vaccine against Legionellainfection doesn’t mean we are defenseless. Our immune system is great and while the infection may begin with a bang, it will end with a whimper in most cases.

 

Click here to purchase

          There are kits you can buy online that will detect the presence of Legionella. The kits are fast and easy to use anywhere. A positive result is bad news and indicates there is Legionella pneumophila present. It’s better to do a test by yourself and get the results immediately so you can take action fast. Test kits can be bought from virtually anywhere online. They come with simple packaging and simple instructions that anyone can follow. Follow the link under the picture to purchase one!

 

In case you didn’t believe me, here’s a video showing how simple it is! 😏

 

 

 

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK7619/

http://www.complianceforlandlords.com/advice/food-sources-for-legionella-and-how-to-get-rid-of-them/

https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/legionnaires/index.html

https://legionellacontrol.com/legionella-products/rapid-legionella-testing-kit/