The Basics About Legionnaires’ Disease and HVAC systems
Most of us don’t really consider the indoor heating or cooling system as dangerous. The systems are there to cool or heat the building up and that’s it. Proper maintenance ensures that you can enjoy the heat during winter and cooling during summer. But did you know that your building ventilation systems could make your sick? Apparently, they can! On July 15th 2015, New Yorkers were told that more than 100 people tested positive for Legionnaires Disease. The infection caused by Legionella pneumophila bacteria that spread because of an infected water-cooling tower. Due to poor maintenance, the bacterial infection spread to all five cooling towers of the South Bronx building and infected the people in the building and around it as well. At the time of writing, more than 10 people had died from the infection and the city health commissioner had issued health warnings to people living in the area. What Caused The Legionella Outbreak? Legionella bacteria thrived in wet humid locations and the cooling system of the building had not been cleaned in quite some time. The bacteria spread through the ventilation system and it was vented out in the form of water droplets. The sick, elderly, children,