
Risk of contracting Legionnaires' disease increases when people don't use screenwash to clean their car's windscreen wipers.
According to the UK's Health Protection Agency, windscreen wiper water could be the cause of nearly 20 per cent of Legionnaires' disease cases in England and Wales.
Advertisement
Stagnant, warm water is a breeding ground for the Legionella bacterium, which causes pneumonia when inhaled.
However, screenwash kills the bacteria and could save lives.
The finding came after researchers observed that professional drivers are five times more likely to develop the infection.
The disorder mainly strikes people over 50 years of age and is more common in men.
Early symptoms feel similar to flu with muscle aches, tiredness, headaches, dry cough and fever.
Legionnaires' disease is fatal in about 10-15 per cent of patients.
"This is a bug which lives in the environment and will take advantage of warm water systems that are not cleaned out," The BBC quoted Professor Hugh Pennington, an expert in bacteriology, as saying.
Pennington added: "Legionnaires' is rare but it kills people and it's an extremely unpleasant disease.
"If you can prevent it with something this simple then it's a no brainer really."
Source: ANI
The finding came after researchers observed that professional drivers are five times more likely to develop the infection.
Advertisement
The disorder mainly strikes people over 50 years of age and is more common in men.
Early symptoms feel similar to flu with muscle aches, tiredness, headaches, dry cough and fever.
Legionnaires' disease is fatal in about 10-15 per cent of patients.
"This is a bug which lives in the environment and will take advantage of warm water systems that are not cleaned out," The BBC quoted Professor Hugh Pennington, an expert in bacteriology, as saying.
Pennington added: "Legionnaires' is rare but it kills people and it's an extremely unpleasant disease.
"If you can prevent it with something this simple then it's a no brainer really."
Source: ANI
Advertisement
Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Recommended Readings
Latest General Health News

The Japanese parliament approved a bill allowing medical cannabis products and prohibiting their use for non-medicinal purposes.

Most Americans confess that due to constant flurry of activity during the holiday season, it is difficult to eat nutritiously, exercise, and get enough sleep.

People who suffer from depression, constipation, and urinary tract infections are more likely to get multiple sclerosis(MS) five years before MS diagnosis.

Seeking internet help for an incomplete antibiotic course resulted in kidney stone formation and urinary tract infection in a young woman.

The Brain Care Score is a tool to evaluate brain health and reduce the risk of brain disorders including dementia and stroke.