Although the rainy season is cloudy and rainy
But the temperature is still high
Many homes have air conditioning turned on
But the air conditioner that has not been washed for a long time
If you open it, use it directly
How terrible are the consequences?
Recently, there have been hospitals one after another
2 patients with Legionella pneumonia
The cause of the illness is related to air conditioning
Legionella pneumonia is named after an outbreak that occurred at the 1976 Veterans Conference in Philadelphia, USA. Legionella pneumophila is the main pathogen causing Legionella pneumonia, which can invade the body's macrophages and is highly pathogenic.
Legionella pneumophila pneumophila prefers a warm and humid environment, and the hot and humid summer is an excellent time for it to multiply, and the air conditioners, water heaters, showers, pipes, hot springs, etc. commonly used by people can become its breeding ground.
Doctors said that Legionella pneumonia developed about 10 days after it invaded the body.
Clinical symptoms include non-specific respiratory symptoms such as fever, cough, sputum production, and dyspnea, as well as a variety of extrapulmonary manifestations such as headache, myalgia, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, rhabdomyolysis, and acute renal impairment, and in severe cases, shock and even death.
It is worth noting that the high-risk groups that are susceptible to Legionella pneumonia include immunodeficiency groups, middle-aged and elderly people, patients with chronic heart, lung, kidney disease and other underlying diseases, long-term hospitalization, and pregnant women. These populations are more susceptible to Legionella infections due to weakened immunity or certain health conditions, and require enhanced protection and surveillance.
Humans are mainly infected by ingestion of Legionella-containing aerosols or contaminated water sources. However, according to the doctor, in addition to pneumonia, there is also a non-pneumonic Legionella infection similar to influenza, with mild symptoms and a good prognosis.
The key to preventing Legionella pneumonia in summer is to maintain environmental hygiene, regularly clean and disinfect air conditioners, bathrooms and other places where Legionella bacteria can grow, and avoid swimming in undisinfected swimming pools. In particular, it is necessary to pay attention to the following three aspects:
Before using an air conditioner that has not been used for a long time, it is necessary to do a thorough cleaning, disinfection and cleaning of the air conditioner, not only to clean the filter, but also to clean the radiator, cooling plate and exhaust pipe regularly.
Wear a well-sealed mask during the washing period to avoid inhaling pathogenic bacteria.
Do not turn on the air conditioner for a long time, pay attention to open the window regularly for ventilation, people with respiratory diseases should try to shorten the time of turning on the air conditioner.
If the storage water heater has not been used for a long time, drain the water before use. Because Legionella bacteria especially prefer moist and warm places, shower hoses are their favorite.
When summer comes, don't play in the landscape pools or fountain pools, because most of the landscape water bodies are stagnant water, which is especially easy to breed bacteria and plankton in the high temperature season, and it is easy to become a breeding ground for Legionella bacteria.
1. Strengthen the health management of air-conditioning cooling tower systems and centralized hot water supply systems, especially in public buildings with large susceptible populations and high population density such as hospitals, nursing homes, hotels, restaurants, and office buildings.
2. Continuously disinfect the cooling water, conduct regular water quality testing, and carry out risk assessment of key places.
3. For centralized hot water supply system and storage water heater for household use, hot water should be kept above 50°C before mixing with cold water;
At the same time, the water temperature should be increased regularly for sterilization, that is, the water temperature should be raised to more than 60 °C, the stagnant water in the pipe should be emptied, and the water should be continuously drained and rinsed for at least 1 minute.
The shower head should also be cleaned frequently to prevent clogging and stagnant water, and to prevent limescale on the other hand, so as to provide suitable conditions for the growth of Legionella bacteria.
4. Try to choose a well-ventilated place to deal with gardening soil, compost, etc.; Pay attention to protection, such as wearing masks and gloves;
Irrigation and rinsing with a hose with low water pressure can moisten the soil to avoid dust, and wash your hands thoroughly after finishing.
5. Exercise, quit smoking and limit alcohol, improve self-immunity, and reduce the risk of disease. Know the health knowledge related to Legionnaires' disease and do a good job of self-protection.