Experts warn of Legionella risks after holiday season

Health experts are warning about Legionella bacteria in water pipes that have been unused for extended periods after the holiday season, ORF’s Salzburg service reports. The bacteria can multiply rapidly in warm, stagnant water and cause Legionnaires’ disease when inhaled in fine water droplets.

Recent Legionella infections in Lower Austria, Carinthia and Styria make it important to raise awareness of the risks in Salzburg, said Andreas Krauter, chief physician of the Austrian Health Insurance Fund.

Legionnaires’ disease is a bacterial form of pneumonia. It often causes high fever, coughing and a severe feeling of illness. The disease can be particularly serious for older people, people with weakened immune systems or lung diseases, and smokers.

Legionella bacteria thrive especially well in stagnant water temperatures between 25 and 45 degrees Celsius. The risk comes from inhaling contaminated fine droplets, known as aerosols, such as when showering, using a whirlpool or operating technical equipment such as cooling towers.

Drinking contaminated water is generally not considered a route of infection because stomach acid kills the bacteria. After a longer absence, such as a holiday, Krauter recommends flushing unused pipes with hot water for three to five minutes before taking a shower. The hot-water boiler should be set to at least 60 degrees Celsius, and the room should then be well ventilated.