In recent weeks, some situations have arisen in Central Alentejo in which the presence of Legionella bacteria is detected in routine analyzes carried out on different equipment.
To understand the implications that these results have at the community level, Diário do Sul spoke with Vera Leal Pessoa, health authority coordinating Alentejo Central.
According to the doctor specializing in Public Health, “at the level of Central Alentejo, the presence of Legionella has been detected, as part of the collection of samples that is carried out periodically by the entities responsible for the equipment”.
He explained that, “within the scope of Legionella prevention and control plans, which is a legal obligation, these entities must periodically collect samples”, adding that “it has been in this context that the presence of Legionella has been identified in some educational establishments and teaching, in pavilions and in swimming pools”.
According to Vera Leal Pessoa, “in this same context, after the detection of the Legionella bacteria, appropriate measures have been implemented, in accordance with the environmental risk assessment that has been carried out”.
He specified that “these measures include banning the use of domestic hot water (such as showers and taps) and implementing corrective measures, which may be through chemical and/or thermal shock, depending on what is appropriate”.
The same doctor also mentioned that “then new samples are collected and that is why sometimes situations seem to take some time to resolve”, highlighting that “it has to do with the timings that are foreseen in the legal framework according to the assessment of risk (low, moderate or high)”.
He reinforced that “we need these new samples to understand whether the corrective measures we implemented were effective or not”.
The coordinating health authority of Central Alentejo guaranteed that “following the environmental situations I described, no cases of Legionnaires’ disease with an ‘epidemiological link’ were identified”.
However, he added that “cases of Legionnaires’ disease have been identified in other contexts in some municipalities and parishes in Central Alentejo, since mid-March this year, namely in residential structures for elderly people and day centers, but situations have also been identified in home context”.
The same official assured that “also in these situations, the respective epidemiological and environmental investigation was carried out, with the risk assessment and appropriate public health measures were implemented”.
Still regarding the identification of Legionella bacteria in certain locations, Vera Leal Pessoa highlighted that “to minimize and eliminate the risk that may arise in these equipment, appropriate measures must be taken immediately”, ensuring that “in all situations identified in the Alentejo Central these measures were implemented in a timely and effective manner”.
Regarding the characterization of Legionella, he said that “it is a bacteria that exists in the environment and that proliferates in the presence of certain conditions, namely in the presence of hot water between 20 and 45 degrees, but also proliferates in stagnant water in the building network, degraded pipes, among other situations, also existing in artificial water reservoirs”.
The doctor specializing in Public Health also highlighted that “the Legionella pneumophila bacterium is responsible for the majority of infections in humans”, warning that “it is a bacterium that is not transmitted from person to person, nor through ingestion of contaminated water. if so by air, through inhalation of aerosols contaminated by the bacteria”.
He also highlighted that “those at greatest risk of developing Legionnaires’ disease are men over the age of 50, smokers, with underlying respiratory diseases and/or with a depressed immune system due to some chronic pathology”, noting that “in people healthy and young people, Legionnaires’ disease is not expected to develop.”
According to Vera Leal Pessoa, “it is a lung infection that is characterized by pneumonia with high fever”, exemplifying that “it has signs and symptoms of the flu, such as muscle pain and headache, fever or cough, and is treatable with antibiotics ”.
With regard to some recommendations, he indicated the importance of “entities responsible for the equipment keeping their plans regarding the prevention of Legionella up to date, keeping the equipment at appropriate temperatures or inspecting the equipment and complying with maintenance plans”.
Text: DS Editorial / Marina Pardal
