31 de out. de 2013

Sustentabilidade GBCB 2007


Super legal relembrar o começo de uma grande jornada.
Como estamos agora ????

http://www.setri.com.br/?page_id=9

30 de out. de 2013

Six Legionnaires' disease cases tied to Lehigh County outpatient center

Six people sickened, possibly by tainted fountain water



Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-lehigh-county-legionairres-outbreak-20131030,0,3773533.story#ixzz2jEs7E7KJ


In a statement, health department press secretary Aimee Tysarczyk said the department was limited in the information it could share because of restrictions under the Disease Prevention and Control Law regarding continuing investigations.
She encouraged people with concerns to consult a doctor.
"It's important for the public to know that legionella is commonly found in various places in the environment and cases occur all the time throughout the state," Tysarczyk wrote. "Legionnaire's is a reportable disease in Pennsylvania, which means health care facilities, health care practitioners and clinical laboratories are required to report it to the Department of Health within 24 hours and thereafter we will investigate those reports which involves asking a series of questions including where the individual has recently been."
Finding a location common to patients does not necessarily mean the location is the source of the disease, the statement said, so the department has to expand its inquiry beyond that common denominator.
Tysarczyk said IHC had been cooperative and followed appropriate measures to assist with the investigation, and the health department had followed traditional protocols by issuing an alert to health care professional.
The alert urges vigilance about reporting potential cases so the department can follow-up and investigate, Tysarczyk wrote.
IHC's statement said the fountain in the lobby of the 250 building and the fountain outside the lobby were shut down and drained. The results of tests on the water are pending. The facility's drinking water system was also sanitized, though it was not considered a likely source of the infection.
The health department conducted its own inspection, taking water samples on Friday.


Greenbuild Congress - USGBC - Philadelphia


A SETRI vai estar presente neste importante evento em Novembro.

7 de out. de 2013

Casos de Legionella um alerta

Casos como o reportado a seguir ocorre em todo o mundo. No Brasil casos existem e não são reportados, mas temos os mesmos problemas que existem em todo o mundo quando se fala de LEGIONELLA.

Spike in Legionellosis disease in Garden City

By: Scarlett Cvitanovich, | Latest Christchurch News | Monday October 7 2013 9:45

Christchurch may be pleasantly known as the Garden City, but the name isn't as rosy as it first appears.
There were eight reported cases of the potentially fatal Legionellosis disease in September, compared to just one in August.
Medical Officer of Health Dr Alistair Humphrey says the disease is more prevalent in the city because more people get out in their gardens.
"When we get into our gardens in the spring time we always see a spike in the number of people brought into hospital with Legionella pneumonia.
"And that's because they've caught it from their potting mix or their compost in their gardens."
Alistair Humphrey says people can avoid the disease by using precautions around potting mix, such as wearing a mask and washing their hands after use.
Photo: Stock.xchng

2 de out. de 2013

Legionella Bacteria Found in Compost Products


A study conducted at the University of Strathclyde investigating the presence of Legionella in compost, has found that the bacteria exist in a significant number of commercial products. The research, the first substantial analysis of Legionella in UK composts, suggests that the bacteria are a common part of the microflora found within the composts tested. It is widely recognized that Legionella bacteria are commonly present in the environment and the researchers have found that compost could be a potential source of infection.
Dr. Tara K. Beattie, of the University of Strathclyde's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, says, "Disease causing micro-organisms are widespread in the environment, and therefore it is not too surprising that species of Legionella that can cause human disease are present in compost.
Any environment where you have pathogenic bacteria could be a source of infection, and we already know that compost has been linked to human Legionella infection in countries such as Australia and New Zealand. Within the UK and across Europe composts have traditionally been composed of peat, whereas sawdust and bark are more often used to produce compost in Australia and New Zealand where Legionellosis associated with compost is more common. It may be that the change in composition of composts in the UK, moving away from peat based products, could be resulting in species such as Legionella longbeachae being present in compost and therefore more cases of infection could occur."
The study was conducted by Beattie, fellow academic Dr. Charles Knapp, Strathclyde PhD student Sandra Currie and Dr. Diane Lindsay of the Scottish Haemophilus, Legionella, Meningococcus and Pneumococcus Reference Laboratory.
Twenty-two different brands of compost, commercially available in the UK, were examined for the presence of Legionella bacteria – 14 of those tested contained a variety of Legionella species. Some of the species found, for example Legionella longbeachae which was present in four brands, are known to have caused human disease.
Beattie notes, "A larger scale survey, covering a wider range of compost products is required to determine if these organisms, some disease causing, some not, are as widespread in composts as this initial study would suggest. It should be emphasized though, that although Legionella seem to be common in compost, human infection is very rare, especially if you consider the volume of compost sold and used. But with any potential source of infection precautions should always be taken. The occurrence of these bacteria in composts in Australia and New Zealand, and the cases of infection that have been traced to compost has resulted in hygiene warnings on compost packaging in these countries, and this is something manufacturers in the UK may wish to consider."

The paper, "Legionella spp. in UK composts – a potential public health issue," has been published by Clinical Microbiology and Infection.

Potentially deadly legionella bacteria is discovered in bags of compost

Potentially deadly legionella bacteria has been found in bags of compost.
Tests on 22 brands of compost available in the UK found that 14 contained a variety of Legionella bugs.
Four showed evidence of Legionella longbeachae, which can cause serious infections leading to admission to hospital or death.
Last month, health experts recommended putting warning labels on compost bags after a spate of Legionella longbeachae infections in Scotland.
Five people have been affected since the outbreak began in August. The latest victim was being treated in hospital in Dundee two weeks ago.