Brief History Of Legionella | Caledonian Heating & Plumbing

Legionnaires' disease continues to be a health concern in the UK, with hundreds of cases reported each year. It is caused by bacteria that can be present in water systems and can cause fatalities in extreme cases, especially in the early days when not much was known about it.

Join Caledonian Heating & Plumbing Ltd as we dive into a brief history of Legionella and Legionnaires’ disease.

Where Did It Start?

The origins of the first diagnosed case of Legionnaires disease take us all the way back to 1976. An outbreak of pneumonia occurred amongst people attending a convention of the American Legion in a hotel in Philadelphia. There were 182 reported cases, and of these 29 died.

It initially baffled people as to what exactly caused these deaths, but in early 1977 it was identified as a previously unknown strain of bacteria. It was subsequently named Legionella, with the species that causes it dubbed Legionella pneumophila.

Following on from this discovery and diagnosis, several unexplained outbreaks of disease were retrospectively attributed to Legionella. The first major outbreak in the UK occurred in 1985 when over 100 patients fell ill and 28 died. The source of the outbreak was traced back to an air-conditioning cooling tower.

Legionella Legislation Today

Further outbreaks occurred in 2002 and 2012 and because of this plenty of guidance has been put in place to prevent the risks and ensure water systems are suitably managed. Managing the risk from Legionella is attributed to both The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Control of Substance Hazardous to Health Regulations, also known as COSHH.

The initial guidance on Legionella was written in 1987, with updates throughout the years leading to the precautions we take nowadays. Nowadays there are easy-to-read documents, outlining the guidance for hot and cold water systems, evaporative cooling systems and other risk systems.

Legionella risk assessments typically consist of a physical inspection of the systems, checking of procedures/paperwork and making sure everyone involved with controlling the bacteria knows what they are doing to ensure safety and compliance.

Legionella Testing From Caledonian Heating & Plumbing

Here at Caledonian Heating & Plumbing, we are members of the Legionella Control Association (LCA, so are able to ensure that your water systems are safe and you comply with all Legionella legislation and regulations.

Our Legionella testing services work with you to create a customised Legionella control plan for your company, making sure your commercial and industrial businesses across Scotland stay protected from Legionella and Legionnaires’ disease.

If you’d like to find out more about how we can help with your commercial water management, get in touch today.