31 de out. de 2012

Water Safety Plan Legionella (Plano de segurança no uso da Água e a Legionella)

Water Safety Plan Is Needed to Combat Legionella

Today’s tip: Legionnaire’s disease is still a threat, and facility managers should have a plan to combat it.

Legionnaire’s Disease does not make headlines the way it used to. But that does not mean the pneumonia caused by the bacteria, legionella, is no longer a risk. According to the Centers for Disease Control, between 8,000 and 10,000 people wind up in the hospital every year because of legionella. And those numbers may well underestimate the extent of the problem, says CDC, because many cases are either not diagnosed or not reported. Summer is the biggest problem time, but the illness can strike 12 months of the year. And Legionnaire’s Disease is a serious condition, leading to death in 5 to 30 percent of cases, according to CDC.

People contract the disease by inhaling a mist or vapor contaminated with legionella. Sources of the problem include plumbing systems, cooling towers, humidifiers, whirlpools, fountains and mist machines.

The only way to determine if legionella is present is to test the water, says Matthew Frieje, president of HC Info. The bacteria can be present in well-maintained systems, not just systems that are poorly maintained, he says.

Facility managers should take steps to ensure that their facilities’ water systems do not become breeding grounds for legionella. The World Health Organization recommends developing a water safety plan to evaluate risks of exposure to legionella. A water safety plan assesses hazards and ranks them in order of priority. It also calls for ongoing operational monitoring of control measures, such as the use of biocides, the prevention of stagnant water and the keeping of water temperature outside of the range in which legionella grows the best, to the extent possible. Legionella grows best in water temperatures between 20 C (68 F) and 50 C (122 F)

A SETRI vem trabalhando no processo do Water Safety Plan para a Legionella (Risk Assessment), utilizando o HACCP, modelo recomndado pela ASHRAE.


Legionella pode provocar problemas respiratórios, pela inalação de gotículas de água contaminada.
Precisa de mais informações acesse www.setri.com.br



30 de out. de 2012

PVT teste para Legionella

Phigenics, LLC has again achieved the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC) Environmental Legionella Isolation Techniques Evaluation (ELITE) certification for the detection, recovery and enumeration of Legionella in water samples. Phigenics has successfully passed the two rounds of proficiency testing necessary to obtain this recertification. Phigenics was one of the first commercial labs to achieve this certification in 2009.

The Phigenics Validation Test (PVT) is a field method for the quantitative determination of viable Legionella and total heterotrophic aerobic bacteria. This method has been proven reliable for determining viable cell concentrations of Legionella pneumophila, Legionella species and total heterotrophic aerobic bacteria. In comparison to standard methods, the new protocol has been shown to be more accurate, faster and more convenient.

Measuring viable Legionella and other bacteria using standard culture methods requires shipment of water samples to an analytical laboratory. The results typically take 12-14 days which can leave facilities in a holding pattern. The shipment of water samples can cause unpredictable changes. In some water samples, viable bacteria increase during transit and in other samples they decrease. When the facility receives their Legionella results, these challenges can make interpretation and decision-making difficult.

The patents pending Phigenics Validation Test (PVT) completely eliminates the need to ship water samples, thereby giving more reliable data about the water system. The PVT is a field sampling protocol to obtain viable cell counts (CFU/ml) for total heterotrophic aerobic bacteria, Legionella pneumophila (serogroup 1 and serogroups 2-14) and all non-pneumophila Legionella species. Data is obtained for the exact moment when the PVT Field sampler contacts the water sample, which means shipment of water samples to a laboratory is not required. Additionally, the time required to obtain results is reduced 75-80% compared to the Standard Method for Legionella.

 

27 de out. de 2012

Legionella bacteria found in two shower heads at Oak Park and River Forest High School

Bacteria can very rarely lead to Legionnaires' disease. Problem discovered during routine water testing.

Bacteria that in rare instances may cause Legionnaires' disease have been found in one shower head in both the boys and girls freshmen locker rooms at Oak Park and River Forest High School, school officials said Friday afternoon.

The bacteria were discovered during a water-quality test the school was conducting as part of a new maintenance program, the school announced Friday afternoon via an email to families. Superintendent Steven Isoye stressed that there have been no cases of Legionnaires' disease found among students or staff.

"This morning we were notified that traces of Legionella bacteria were found. …We immediately isolated and closed these showers. As a precautionary measure, we also closed the other showers as well, until we could thoroughly consult with experts about the appropriate next steps," Isoye said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Legionella bacteria are commonly found in water. It grows best in warm water and in places such as hot tubs, cooling towers or large plumbing systems. Air-conditioning systems in large buildings are known to carry the bacteria, according to the CDC. Legionnaires' disease, a respiratory illness, is caused by the bacteria, but most people exposed to the bacteria do not become ill.

24 de out. de 2012

INFANT'S FATAL LEGIONELLA INFECTION LINKED TO HOME HUMIDIFIER


A free standing cold water humidifier was linked to a Legionella (Lp1) infection in an infant that had for six weeks also been receiving corticosteroid treatment for shortness of breath and wheezing. The humidifier had been filled with tap water and not regularly cleaned. The infant was admitted to the hospital in February this year due to high fever, cough, wheezing, and vomiting, and died two weeks later despite antibiotic treatment. The report is posted at http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=20293.

15 de out. de 2012

Legionnaires' disease found in water at Seneca Towers


Legionnaires’ disease bacteria have been found in the water at the Seneca Towers apartment complex, apparently leading to at least two known cases of the illness.
Residents at the high-rise apartment building at 200 Seth Green Drive have been told not to use the water because of the positive testing.
“To reduce potential health risks to residents,” said Jeffrey Hammond, a spokesman for the New York State Department of Health, “the facility has implemented infection control measures on the recommendation of the state and county health departments, which include a number of water-use restrictions.”

obs: Este caso como muitos outros, indica que podemos ter problemas com a Legionella em qualquer ambiente, inclusive em nossa própria casa.

4 de out. de 2012

Risk Assessment Legionella - Uruguay, Argentina e Chile

A SETRI passa a atender com seus serviços de Avaliação de Risco (Risk Assessment) para Legionella, Water Safety Plan e Indoor Air Quality os paises: Uruguay, Argentina e Chile.
Com isso estamos levando aos paises da America Latina todo nosso conhecimento nos temas.