Legionnaires’ Disease and Driving

Legionella bacteria are widespread in the natural environment.  When inhaled, usually within fine droplets of contaminated water, they can cause a form of pneumonia called Legionnaires’ Disease, which can be fatal.  The control of this risk has usually focussed on the most likely causes – hot water systems, particularly those with showers, and air conditioning.

Last month, I was surprised by some research published in the European Journal of Epidemiology, which found that the risk of professional drivers getting Legionnaires’ Disease is  5 times higher than the general population.  The main risk factors linked with this appear to be driving through industrial areas, and, in particular, not adding screenwash to the windscreen wiper fluid.  Presumably the latter is due to a preservative biocide contained in most screenwash.  This finding should lead to the review of many legionella COSHH risk assessments, with an obvious action point to anyone who runs a car or any other vehicle.

The article is:

Windscreen wiper fluid without added screenwash in motor vehicles: a newly identified risk factor for Legionnaires’ disease

By: Anders Wallensten , Isabel Oliver, Katherine Ricketts, George Kafatos, James M. Stuart and Carol Joseph

It can be accessed here as HTML, and here as a PDF.