How Do You Prevent Legionellosis?
Legionellosis is an infection caused by the Legionella pneumophila bacterium. Pontiac fever is the milder form of this disease but Legionnaires’ disease includes pneumonia. Legionella normally lives in water and soil and is active in temperatures ranging from 28 degrees to 40 degrees Celsius. Legionellosis often affects the elderly, but patients with underlying illnesses are also at greater risk. The following steps will show how to prevent a case of legionellosis. Use standard precautions in a hospital setting as person-to-person transfer of legionellosis is not known to occur. Install a filter system into the supply hose of a birthing tub to reduce the colonization of tap water by legionellosis. Respiratory devices should be filled and rinsed with sterile water. Prevent the spread of healthcare-associated legionnaires’ disease by maintaining a high index of suspicion for its diagnosis. Perform appropriate laboratory tests for an early diagnosis. Test water samples from the hospital’s
