Why Should You Regularly Test for Legionella in Your Residential and Commercial Facility?

In December 2020, some researchers in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention used previous calculations of medical costs and new estimates of productivity losses, and estimated that the annual economic burden of Legionnaires’ disease—a serious and sometimes fatal type of pneumonia—was above $800 million in the US alone. At Biosan Laboratories, a Michigan-based environmental microbiology laboratory, we understand how damaging an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease can be—especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic—and we specialize in independent Legionella laboratory testing.

The bacterium Legionnaires pneumophila mainly grows in moist places, including cooling towers, air conditioners, spas, dentistry tools, hot and cold water systems, and infects the lungs through inhalation of contaminated airborne droplets. Its symptoms are similar to the novel coronavirus infection and other types of pneumonia, which ranges from dry cough, chills, high fever, body ache and headache.

 


 

Legionella is found to multiply in warm water above 20 °C and below 50 °C and is usually found in the water systems of many residential and commercial establishments where a robust Legionella management system is not in place. Cases of Legionellosis have been found in facilities with low levels of Legionella, which proves that the bacterium doesn’t have a known safe level.

Legionnaires disease does not spread person to person; people are infected only when they inhale the droplets containing the bacteria. Risk factors for exposure include:

• Overnight stay in a facility that is a breeding ground for the bacteria.

• Exposure to contaminated hot tubs or other plumbing equipment.

• Travel to a contaminated site.

Though most healthy people seldom get infected after an initial exposure, some people are at higher risk of developing serious complications such as:

• People above 50 years of age

• Smokers

• Individuals with compromised immune systems from diseases, such as cancer, chronic lung diseases, diabetes, liver or kidney failure as well as those who take immunosuppressant drugs

 



Therefore it is crucial to conduct routine tests to determine whether or not your residential property or commercial facility is a host to the hazardous bacteria. In this blog post, we detail why you should get tested for Legionella on a regular basis.

If you are a business owner, or a landlord, you are mandated by state laws to meet certain health and safety prerequisites to minimize the risk of a Legionella outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has developed a toolkit to help property owners design water management program and identify the areas conducive for the growth and spread of Legionella as well as the measures to reduce that risk.

The financial and legal consequences of failing to abide by the regulations can be severe. Some law firms in Michigan have dedicated lawyers who investigate cases of legionellosis outbreaks at hotels and medical facilities. They file lawsuits against the entities proven to be the source of the outbreak, which results in penalizing owners with several thousands of dollars.

 


 

When should you test for Legionella?

As there is no known safe level for the bacterium, a regular test is necessary to know if your property is a host to the hazardous bacteria. You should consider a Legionella laboratory test if:

• You reside or operate your commercial establishment in a high-risk zone, or there is a population with increased susceptibility. It is even more critical during a pandemic such as COVID-19.

• You identify a case or outbreak of legionellosis and suspect your water system or cooling tower to be a breeding ground for the bacterium.

• Your water system is being treated with biocides and the limits of a control regime are not being consistently achieved.

Certified by the NYS ELAP (ISO 11731) and CDC ELITE Program for Legionella laboratory testing, our lab will assist you with a comprehensive Legionella testing process, which includes shipping sample bottles to the location of your choice at no additional charge. Contact us for a laboratory services quotation or any additional information.

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