Dubai's Westin hotel investigates Legionnaires' cases

Posted by: Legionella treatment Monday, 31 May 2010 5:17 PM[UAE]

hospitals and other institutions such as prisons have always had higher incidences of legionella

Posted by: Diane Tuesday, 3 February 2009 10:35 AM[UAE]

Maybe this could be a new job venture for someone. To clean the air conditioners, it would be an ongoing business as they need cleaning every year.

Posted by: Serge Monday, 2 February 2009 11:36 AM[UAE] - France

At the moment there seems to be a spate of pressure from authorities to protect consumers and demand additional printing of production and expiries on products, yet something as important with all we know about it as Legionnaires' we see no steps to protect the public, because it costs the business owners and their obligatory partners, money. I used to have an office of 25 people in a 5 star hotel and over the 13 years we were ther not once were the air ducts disinfected, even though we demanded it and every year we if anyone on our floor caught a cold or cough the whole floor got it! authorities should focus on real safety and not job creation!

Posted by: Chris J Monday, 2 February 2009 9:44 AM[UAE] - UAE

In countries such as Australia, authorities ensure that ALL air conditioning cooling towers are disinfected on regular cycles. At this stage, this is not occuring in the UAE or in the Gulf. So far, the Gulf has proven immune to Legionaire's disease, but it looks like this will change. The disease is carried in the water born droplets and emmissions from the cooling towers of buildings. If you think of how many cooling towers there are on every building in the Gulf, there is a huge opportunity for a major outbreak. It looks like it is time to ensure that building owners and the Municipality start to formulate processes to ensure that all towers are regularly disinfected to stop this killer disease.

Posted by: angelo Monday, 2 February 2009 7:28 AM[UAE] - UAE

What is it? Legionnaires disease is a severe form of pneumonia (lung infection). It is caused by bacteria called legionella pneumophila. The disease first got its name in 1976, when there was an outbreak at a convention of the American Legion in Philadelphia. What causes it? Legionella bacteria are found naturally in the environment, usually in water and soil. The bacteria grow well in warm, still water. People get Legionnaires disease when they breathe mist or water droplets from water sources that are contaminated with the legionella bacteria. Common sources of the bacteria include: Cooling towers Showers Faucets Hot tubs and spas Air-conditioners For example, a person could get Legionnaires disease by breathing in steam from a whirlpool that has legionella bacteria in it. There is no evidence of people becoming sick from car air conditioners or window air-conditioning units used in homes. Is it contagious? Legionnaires disease is not spread from person-to-person. You can't get it by touching someone or simply being near a person who has the disease. Not everyone who is exposed to the bacteria will get Legionnaires disease. Signs and symptoms Legionnaires disease has many of the same symptoms as other forms of pneumonia. The most common signs and symptoms include: High fever Chills Cough Headache Muscle aches Nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea Difficulty breathing Confusion and memory loss In Pontiac fever symptoms are milder. Pontiac fever usually lasts for 2 to 5 days and may also include fever, headaches, and muscle aches. With Pontiac fever, however, there is no pneumonia. Symptoms go away without specific treatment. People of any age can get Legionnaires' disease, but it usually affects middle-aged and older people. others at risk are Smokers People with chronic lung disease like COPD (including emphysema) People whose immune system is weakened by cancer, kidney disease, diabetes, or AIDS If you think you were exposed to legionellis bacteria, talk to your doctor or local health department. What you do to prevent Legionnaires disease? To reduce your risk of getting Legionnaires disease it's important to properly maintain and clean all devices that can produce water droplets or mist including: Shower heads Hot tubs Whirlpools Faucets Air-conditioners