Preventing Legionnaires' disease

The best way to prevent an outbreak of Legionnaires disease is to ensure that any water system under your control is properly maintained and conforms to relevant health and safety regulations.

This mainly involves keeping water either cooled below20C or heated above 60C. The water supply should also be kept free of impurities and moving, sothat it doesn't stagnate.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is an independent regulator for reducing work-related death and serious injury in Britain. It provides guidance about Legionnaires' disease on its website, including information and advice about managing legionella in hot and cold water systems .

If you're travelling abroad, be aware of the risk of Legionnaires disease and seek medical advice if you develop any symptoms of the infection. There's currently no vaccine that offers protection against Legionnaires' disease.

If you're at increased risk of developing severe Legionnaires disease for example, because you have a weakened immune system, you may want to consider avoiding water systems that could be contaminated, such as spas.

Content supplied by the NHS Website

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dez 2018