Study: Nearly Half Of Water Taps May Contain Bacteria That Causes Legionnaires’ Disease

Oh.. this doesn't sound good...

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The data is scary: Nearly half of water faucets sampled across the United States tested positive for the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease.
While the study was small — researchers only sampled 67 public and private water sources such as kitchen sinks and drinking fountains – it’s the first one to chart the presence of the potentially deadly bacteria in water taps.

Source

As they note, it's a limited sampling this time through, so it's not definitive or anything to make policy around....but I'd say it shows the need to run much larger samples now and see just how much we are all sucking down for disease and sickness.

So much for that safe tap water concept. (sigh)... yuck!

edit on 22-2-2014 by Wrabbit2000 because: Fixing Link

Sorry about the delay in getting that posted and bolding of the text. Something about that source link defines font group which follows..but only in certain spacing, and only if the source line is spaced in a certain way ABOVE it..but if you quote that? The spacing IN the OP is nothing like what it SHOWS as being there. Weird...but I wanted to explain why it was a dead OP for a minute while I scrambled to fix a totally new one on me.

Not only disease but aging infrastructure has contaminants of all kinds in it. City water pipes are yuck…


Distilled water myths

So what does this tell you if it's completely true? The bacteria that CAUSES Legionnaire's Disease is found in half the water taps. Few people get Legionnaire's Disease, therefore the vast majority of people are unaffected. In other words, the bacteria alone is not causing legionnaire's disease, or perhaps the bacteria is not present in large enough quantities to cause legionnaire's disease.

Whatever, really. It's not a huge public health concern that needs to be attacked with billions of dollars for mitigation. People can still drink the water, and not a damn thing is going to happen to them.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


I must assume that the bacteria is so common that it is not a problem in the samples found but perhaps it can be in rare(?) concentrations in a particular water supply/consumption? Or is there some unrelated complicating factor? The article is very short and does not elaborate. I raise this question because in cases where several people using one water supply have been effected, why several at one place and not epidemic elsewhere?

Let me add some context for those not familiar with what this is. I watched my father almost die from this when I was young so it's one illness I perk up to. In his case, it was traced to bacteria build-up he inhaled during his shift from the air conditioning unit in his police car. Since the police units are running, basically 24/7 in many cases across shifts, the AC's and condensers are running and dripping in a place like California. Left to sit, this can form and then breathing it...becomes an illness which can be fatal.

Definition

Legionnaire disease is an infection of the lungs and airways caused by Legionella bacteria.

Alternative Names

Legionella pneumonia; Pontiac fever

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

The bacteria that cause Legionnaire disease have been found in water delivery systems. They can survive in the warm, moist, air conditioning systems of large buildings, including hospitals.

Most cases are caused by the bacteria Legionella pneumophila. The rest of the cases are caused by other Legionella species.

Spread of the bacteria from person to person has not been proven.

Most infections occur in middle-age or older people. In rare cases, children can get the infection. When they do, the disease is less severe.

Source: University of Maryland - Medical Center

Chlorine dioxide in water is supposed to kill Legionella I thought. I suppose if they are using regular chlorine it doesn't kill this microbe.

So I suppose having a good immune system is the only option we have.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Right, but he inhaled it; he didn't drink water from a tap to get the disease. What you described is the perfect incubator for the disease. Indeed, the very first outbreak that gave the disease its name was at a Legionnaire's convention where the hotel had a large air conditioner on the roof that matched the behavior of the AC in your Dad's car.

Bacteria that cause diseases are everywhere all the time, but conditions have to be "ideal" (for the disease) in order to cause a problem. ecoli is a bacteria that can kill you, but the fact that your dog poos in your own backyard and you have to clean it up does not mean you are going to die because of ecoli contamination, even though you came into direct contact with it.

Having this bacteria in half the water taps is not the same thing as having this bacteria in certain kinds of AC systems. We KNOW this for a fact because the people drinking out of these very same water taps are not dying of Legionnaire's disease. It's not a public health hazard. Pretending it is is a disservice. It's not helping anything and diverting people away from situations which really could be dangerous.

Great find Wrabbit! I thought that most of the older water pipes could be hiding places for nasty things that could hurt us. While living in the city the use of a water filter at the sink was my only protection. Since I moved to the burbs, using well water, I installed a whole house system on the outlet from the tank. I would imagine that a sink filter may a good idea also and be installed soon now that I have read your OP. Thanks again!
ken

couldn't it still be inhaled if you are using unfiltered water and taking a hot shower breathing in the steam. Have you ever seen a dirty or clogged shower head. If you have a low immune system you might be able to get sick?

reply to post by schuyler

It's not a public health hazard. Pretending it is is a disservice. It's not helping anything and diverting people away from situations which really could be dangerous.

I appreciate your take on this, and I'm relaying what I've found in media today to share on what strikes me as a particularly important tidbit. Nothing to go nuts over or make major life changes for, of course.

However, having said that...to suggest it's meaningless or without cause for concern is also a poor approach, in my view.

What happens, for instance, if you take that contaminated tap water and fill a humidifier for a sick child to run for the night? We have just such a unit in a bathroom cupboard and it does a very good job of turning the water to mist and dispersing it throughout the room. Now, this would add a bacteria to that airborne mist which is specifically at issue for breathing it. I'd say, we have a clear line of cause for caution, through to impact at the end if it's not known. At least, it's possible enough to be aware of, in my opinion.

I don't buy it.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The data is scary: Nearly half of water faucets sampled across the United States tested positive for the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease.

First they said this.

Then they said this:

While the study was small — researchers only sampled 67 public and private water sources such as kitchen sinks and drinking fountains – it’s the first one to chart the presence of the potentially deadly bacteria in water taps.

So according to them after only doing 67 tests the entire countries 'private water supplies' carry 'disease'.'

And this cinches it.

'According to the EPA'.

Sounds like The EPA fear mongering so they can take over private water sources, and control them to make people drink that 'city water' that has that most famous flouride instead.