Legionella is a genus of bacteria that causes the most severe degree of pneumonia known as Legionnaires’ disease. Worse still, large outbreaks of Legionnaires’ can result in dramatic business and economic effects at a local level. This article discusses the financial impact of outbreaks and the role of biocides in preventing Legionella outbreaks, thereby saving money in the process
Understanding Legionella
These Legionella bacteria naturally abound in every water system, mostly in cooling towers, domestic water tanks, and large plumbing systems. They multiply in warm, stagnant water and can turn into a harsh health risk if they become aerosolized in aerosols that are inhaled. Effective management of the water system and application of biocides are critical to preventing outbreaks of Legionella.
Economic Impact of Legionella Outbreaks
Direct Costs
Medical Expenses
Basically, instant costs are attributable to medical treatment in case the Legionella breaks out. Most cases of a patient who falls victim to Legionnaires’ disease require hospitalization, which in itself is costly. A lot of expenditure goes into hospitalization, medicines against the infection, diagnosis tests, and treatment follow-up. Critical cases may require putting the patient on life support, whereby further spending on medical expenses is incurred.
Legal and Compensation Costs
The affected person may be granted huge compensation payouts against the business or the property owner. Apart from heavy legal fees, this results in a huge loss, even more so for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Indirect Costs
Loss of Productivity
An outbreak can result in loss of productivity due to time taken off by sick workers. Other businesses may also need to temporarily shut down for decontamination or safety inspections, further preventing productivity and profitability.
Reputation Damage
An outbreak can result in a large reputation loss of a business. The negative publicity can erode the customer’s trust and lead to reduced sales and bookings with the effect of decreased overall revenues for a business. The after-effect on one’s reputation takes years to repair and can be very resource-intensive for marketing and public relations.
Community and Public Health Costs
Public Health Response
In the event of an outbreak of Legionella, the investigations to trace the source, surveillance, and containment of the outbreak has to be very prompt on the part of public health authorities, which involve huge expenses. Public health campaigns for creating awareness and prevention of further outbreaks also call for funds.
Impact on Local Economy
In areas reliant on tourism or where large public facilities are affected, the economic impact can extend to the broader community, reducing visitors and potentially leading to job losses.
Biocides to Prevent Legionella Outbreaks
Legionella biocides are chemical formulations designed to kill or hinder the growth of the Legionella bacteria. Efficient application is important for keeping safe domestic water systems and for preventing Legionella outbreaks. Common biocides for Legionella outbreaks and their functionalities include:
Chlorine-Based Biocides
Chlorine and its derivatives, such as sodium hypochlorite and chlorine dioxide, oxidize the bacterial cell wall and cause cell death. The levels of chlorine should be checked frequently to keep them effective at all times.
Copper-Silver Ionization
The copper and silver ions rupture the membranes of the bacterial cells and its enzymes, leading to its death. It provides constant protection to the metal surfaces without frequent chemical additions and finds its application in hospitals and big plumbing systems.
Monochloramine
Monochloramine is formed from chlorine and ammonia; it represents a milder oxidizer with a longer lifetime in water systems. This makes it quite effective at penetrating into biofilms, disrupting cellular functions of the microorganisms, and quite suitable for drinking water systems and buildings where water retention may be prolonged.
Challenges in the use of biocides
Resistance Development
Bacteria develop resistance to biocides over time, so rotation or combination approaches would be necessary to ensure continual effectiveness of the control.
Biofilm Penetration
Biofilms protect Legionella from treatments; as such, most bacteria cannot be treated. Effective biocides need to diffuse into the biofilms to achieve complete killing.
Environmental and Health Considerations
Some biocides are hazardous to the environment and human health; chlorine can yield harmful byproducts while high concentration ozone can be toxic. It is important therefore to strike a balance between effectiveness and safety.
System Design and Maintenance
It has been truly observed that proper water system design and maintenance are very essential for the control of Legionella. Proper system design, frequent cleaning, and maintenance are the prerequisite conditions necessary for fully supporting treatments’ effectiveness. This needs to include dead-end removal, proper flow of water, and stagnation prevention.
Conclusion
Legionella outbreaks may result in great economic costs due to medical expenses, legal fees, loss of productivity, and damage to reputation. There already are means to prevent such outbreaks and save on other related costs such as biocides for Legionella outbreak. The safe water system ensures protection from an outbreak from Legionella by various methods, including chlorine-based processes, copper-silver ionization, and monochloramine practices so that not only the financial cost but also the reputational damages from an outbreak could be evaded by business operators.
Role of MIS
Ensure the safety and effectiveness of your biocidal products with the comprehensive efficacy testing services at Microbe Investigations Switzerland (MIS). Our state-of-the-art laboratory specializes in rigorous testing for Legionella, providing you with reliable data to meet regulatory requirements and protect public health. Partner with MIS for validated results and stay compliant with the highest industry standards. Contact us today to learn more about our testing solutions and how we can support your product’s success.
