Legionella suspicion in Therme near Augsburg

Legionella suspicion: Neusäßer Titania bath near Augsburg closed

26/09/2012

In a spa in Neusäß in the district of Augsburg bacteria in the bath water was detected. The health department was concerned about the high concentration of Legionella. Perhaps a 50-year-old woman has already become infected with the bacteria and is seriously ill. Doctors also expect more cases of illness, as it was on Tuesday according to media reports.

Legionella in high concentration despite chlorine in the water?
According to the health department, the first case of illness was reported on Monday. According to current information, it is a 50-year-old woman from the northern district of Augsburg. During a visit to the spa „Titania“ in Neusäß, the woman had bathed in the possibly contaminated water and later showed the first signs of Legionnaires' disease, said the responsible health department. The authority expects further illnesses.

During the investigation, the staff of the health department were very worried about the high concentration of bacteria in the children and in the thermal pool of the spa. In chlorinated water, legionella usually does not occur because the bacteria are killed by the chemical, as a spokesman for the health department announced. Only a very high concentration could explain the find. Even the head of the spa has so far no explanation for the bacterial load of the water. In addition, a laboratory independent of the health department also took water samples, which are expected to be evaluated by the end of this week.

Legionella are found in small quantities in the groundwater. However, the bacteria only become a health risk when they multiply, for example in stagnant, 35- to 40-degree warm water.

Legionella can cause lung inflammation
Legionella bacteria were first introduced in 1976 at a veterans' meeting „American Legion“ diagnosed in the Bellevue-Fort hotel in Philadelphia. Out of 4,400 delegates, 180 were infected with the bacteria. 29 men died of severe pneumonia, which is one of the consequences of infection with Legionella. The Legionnaire's disease was already in full swing when the authorities finally realized it was an epidemic. Meanwhile, the bacteria are distributed worldwide.

In the case of infection with Legionella, two forms of Legionellosis are distinguished. On the one hand, sufferers can become ill with Legionnaire's disease, which is transmitted by droplet infection and causes life-threatening pneumonia. On the other hand, this can cause the normally milder Pontiac fever. In Germany, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) registered a total of 639 cases of legionellosis in 2011.

Legionella in the drinking water
Last summer, the limit for legionella in Munich was exceeded so far that the health authority imposed a shower ban for 320 households. Affected were citizens of the Olympic village. Normally, the bacteria multiply when the water is too long in the pipes. Therefore, the pipes were first cleaned and partially replaced. The residents of the Munich Olympic Village had no choice but to wait until the concentration of the Legionella returned to a harmless level. (Ag)