Legionnaires' disease Danger to life in hotels

Legionnaire's disease: Danger of Legionella in poorly visited hotel complexes

04/03/2012

If hotels are not well utilized, health consequences can threaten, which guests do not think about at first. If water pipes are not used regularly, dangerous bacteria such as legionella settle in the hot water pipes. The following Legionnaire's disease can lead to death. Simple precautions can reduce the risk of infection.

Danger in barely occupied hotels
According to health experts of the German Society for Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine in Werne could threaten dangers in poorly occupied hotels. With a small room occupancy, the water pipes are rarely used. But this is important because otherwise increase bacterial strains of Legionella in the lines and can take a dangerous for humans extent. The same dangers threaten not only in the water pipes but also in air conditioners and less used whirlpools. If they are not continuously operated, there are also bacteria that cause the legionellosis. „Particularly affected are pipes with so-called stagnation - in which the water often stands, because it is not used, so that biofilms can easily form.“, explains Dr. Dieter Köhler of the German Society of Pneumology and Respiratory Medicine.

Legionnaire's disease with bad consequences
The legionellosis can occur differently. The most well-known and most frequently occurring infectious disease is the Legionnaire's disease, which can take a serious and life-threatening course for humans. Similar to a seasonal flu, most patients initially experience a high fever with chills, muscle pain, especially in the area of ​​the chest (thoracic pain), a dry, irritating cough, sometimes with later blood ejection. In many cases this is accompanied by headaches, body aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and neurological deficits. Particularly high is the death rate in patients with a weakened immune system. But it can also cause the so-called Pontiac fever and in rare cases, infections of the inner lining or kidney pelvic inflammation. So that the disease is not provoked, even small precautions help.

Action: Run water, leave the room, close and ventilate
Prof. Dr. Köhler, who is also the Medical Director of the Pulmonary Clinic Kloster Grafschaft in Schmallenberg, advises hotel visitors to turn on the taps and let the water run for a few minutes before using a shower, bath or brushing their teeth. As a result, the lines are freed from the accumulated bacteria again and rinsed. The note applies especially to pensions or hotels that are obviously underutilized. But because that is not always obvious, the preventive advice should apply in general. But beware: Already when running the taps, hotel visitors can become infected with the pathogens. For this reason, Köhler advises to stop the air in the bathroom, then leave the room and close the door. After the process, it is important to ventilate the bathroom well.

How important the warning is, shows a recent case from a hotel in „Costa Blanca“. There are 15 tourists infected with Legionella. Three patients have already died as a result of the disease. According to some experts, one seems „simple hyperchlorination of tap water is insufficient“. This was only at the beginning of January this year carried out in the hotel concerned. A few days later, the bacteria were detected again. The hotel was initially closed and should reopen after an intensive disinfection.

Many laymen as well as doctors assume that the occurrence of Legionnaire's disease is limited to warm holiday countries. But that's not right, warns Köhler. For the „Flooding of the bacteria is not the ambient temperature, but the temperature in the water pipe responsible.“ Also in Germany there are numerous houses „with temporarily stagnant hot water pipes“. A big danger is that the disease is often recognized too late. If, on the other hand, antibiotic drugs can be administered quickly, the chances of a speedy recovery also increase. Nevertheless, the mortality rate is between 10 and 15 percent. (Sb)

Read about:
Diagnosis: Legionella in drinking water
Drinking water often contaminated with germs
Stricter controls in drinking water regulation
American drinking water contaminated with chromium

Image: Sebastian Karkus