Seminário Internacional sobre a bactéria LEGIONELLA

Artigo traduzido que foi publicado pela Revista Infra:


The 1st International Seminar on Bactéria Legionella was held on 16 April in São Paulo, Brazil, with the presence of important representatives from the health sector, such as the National Agency of Sanitary Surveillance (ANVISA), the Coordination of Health Surveillance (COVISA / SP) and the Ministry of Health.

During the event, interesting facts and concerning issues were discussed about Legionella, a bacterium that attacks the respiratory system (when contaminated water particles are aspirated) and is present in water systems common in building facilities such as cooling towers, showers , water heaters, fountains, water transport (tanker trucks, for example), exposed water tanks, sprinkler irrigation, among others. The bacteria can also be found in rivers, lakes, reservoirs and even on the ground.

According to Dr. Szymon Gartenkraut, Deputy Manager of Health Surveillance of Worker (COVISA / SP), pneumonia is the fourth leading cause of death in Brazil, according to data from the National Health System (SUS). Legionnaires' disease, a form of atypical pneumonia disease, is included in these numbers, but the exact number of cases in the country is unknown because SUS does not have data specific to the disease. "The deaths from atypical pneumonia have been growing since 2005," said Dr. Gustavo Graudenz, Department of Medical Sciences, Environmental Management and Sustainability at the University Nove de Julho.
"There is really no technical excuse for not preventing the disease because it is not difficult to control Legionella in the water systems of buildings," said Dr. William McCoy, Committee member of ASHRAE. According to him, the focus on prevention is essential and it is the role of Facility Managers to establish a team to decide necessary hazard analysis and control. They should check how water is processed and used in building, analyze potential sites of contamination, determine what critical limits for hazard control are to be met. The monitoring of water quality and the results are also of paramount importance.
The meeting also served to celebrate a decade of ANVISA Resolution 09, of 16 January 2003 establishing reference standards for indoor air quality in climate-controlled environments for public and collective use. Also cited was Ordinance 2914, Ministry of Health, which requires a Water Safety Plan for the Use of Water in buildings. These two measures are of paramount importance to provide a safer and healthier environment for users.
The Phigenics Validation Test (PVT) is a diagnostic method for water brought by Dr. William McCoy. It is important for managers of buildings to determine the microbial quality of the water in their sites. According to McCoy, the method provides improved accuracy in the detection of bacteria, and the results are reported up to 80% faster than the traditional methods providing information about the quality of water at each installation more accurately and much faster.