According to the World Health Organization, males are three times more likely to acquire Legionnaires’ Disease than women. (source) As of now, there is no vaccine for Legionnaires’ Disease. The most common form of treatment is typically antibiotics. 75% of reported Legionnaires’ Disease cases are aged 50 years and older. (source) Legionnaires’ Disease is most likely to occur in the summer months. This is because legionella bacteria thrives in warmer water. (source) While Legionnaires’ Disease is typically transmitted by aerosolized water droplets, there have been numerous outbreaks of Legionnaires’ Disease that have been caused by legionella bacteria found in potting…
A report by the UK Government’s Health Protection Agency found that the spray from windshield wipers is a verified source of legionella exposure. The report claimed that windshield washer water could be responsible for up to 20% of all Legionnaires’ Disease cases in the UK. This same reported stated that professional drivers were five times more likely to acquire Legionnaires’ Disease than those in other lines of work. (1) A species of legionella was discovered in freshwater areas contaminated by the eruption of Mt. St. Helens in 1984. Seeing as most newly discovered species of legionella are named after the…