Legionella Bacteria Outbreaks - the Hunt is on

Outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease have hit the headlines in recent years. In July, two people were hospitalised following an outbreak on a Fred Olsen cruise liner which had just returned from a 17 day trip to the Baltic, visiting Estonia, Finland & Russia. With recent reports suggesting that the source may not have been the cruise liner itself, Jamie Tranter from Eurofins says "the hunt is on to find and eliminate the source of the outbreak." Legionnaires' disease is contracted by the inhalation of water aerosols (from cooling towers, showers, spa etc) which contain Legionella bacteria.

In the UK there are approximately 300 Legionnaires' disease cases per year with a mortality rate of 12% to 15%. In the more susceptible groups this rate is thought to be in excess of 30%. The risk of Legionnaires' disease cannot be eliminated, but there are control measures that can minimise the risk. These are laid out in an HSE document ?The control of Legionella bacteria in water systems' (commonly referred to as L8). Some of the control measures include regular Legionella sampling and analysis of cooling towers and calorifiers (hot water heaters).

As a leader in the provision of analytical services Eurofins is ideally placed to provide an accurate, high quality and cost effective analytical service. In-house Legionella experts are available to provide support and advice for clients on the best approach to testing and analysis.