Doctors recommend that residents of the UAE let in stagnant taps when returning from summer vacation.
Dubai, UAE. Doctors in the UAE recommend that all local residents allow stagnant water in taps to be used before returning from vacation in order to protect themselves from legionellosis. According to Dr. Fernanda Bonill, dangerous bacteria multiply in stagnant water and in steam conditioners, which can pose a threat to health.
Bacteria easily multiply in pipes under the conditions of summer heat, and if they enter the respiratory tract, they can cause Legionnaire’s disease, 10% of which are fatal. “If you have traveled, let your shower flow for two minutes upon return to protect yourself,” said the doctor from the Cleveland Clinic in Abu Dhabi.
You can get infected in any place where there is aerosol air that contains Legionella bacteria. It can be showers and air conditioning, as well as lakes and streams. One must also be careful with humidifiers. It is noted that bacteria multiply at temperatures above 20 degrees and below 45 degrees Celsius.
Legionellosis is an acute infectious disease, most often occurring with severe fever, severe head and muscle pain, general intoxication, damage to the lungs, central nervous system and digestive organs, the development of multiple organ failure syndrome, when one or more important organs fail.
The disease develops within 2-10 days after the entry of legionella into the lungs of a person. On day 2-3, additional symptoms appear: shortness of breath, chest pain; coughing up blood and mucus; nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; a change in the state of the psyche. Not only the lungs suffer from legionellosis. Often the disease is the cause of the development of infection of the internal organs, including the heart. Untimely and improper treatment leads to death.
Elderly people, smokers and people with weakened immune systems (HIV / AIDS), as well as those with chronic lung diseases and diabetes are most susceptible to legionnaire’s disease. To prevent the disease, it is necessary to timely service the air conditioning and water supply systems in buildings. It is worth noting that outbreaks in the Middle East were not recorded.
