Last year more people contracted a legionella infection than ever. While that number has fluctuated between 450 and 550 infections per year in recent years, in 2021 there were 658. Most patients end up in hospital with pneumonia, but some die from the infection. Ten years ago there were 20 deaths, in 2021 there were 31.
Esther Bout (53) has not yet recovered from the legionella infection that she contracted last summer. “It was really traumatic.” Read the interview here.
The culprit is a bacterium that thrives in water with a temperature between 20 and 50 degrees. If that warm water then enters the air via droplets, for example via showers, the bacteria can end up in the lungs and cause inflammation there.
Temperature rise and torrential rains
There is no single explanation for the increase in the number of infections, says Petra Brandsema, epidemiologist at RIVM. “One of the reasons is the changing weather, especially the rise in temperature in combination with torrential rains. The bacteria are more often released into the air due to splashing water in traffic, but also due to the cooling of office buildings. The heat also allows it to survive longer and spread more easily. After downpours, we sometimes see a huge increase in the number of infections.” Doctors and laboratories must report any infection to the GGD.
Other causes are closer to home. Brandsema: “In recent years, one in 25 infections can be traced to the use of bubble baths, which have become increasingly popular. Legionella thrives in such a warm bath, so you should regularly clean and disinfect jacuzzis or hot tubs according to the instructions for use. Apnea devices are also increasingly turning out to be a source of infections, and maintenance is crucial here too.”
The elderly are most at risk
In general, the elderly are most at risk. This is also reflected in the increase in the number of reports. In addition, more men than women are in the danger zone, especially smokers.
According to the Veterans Disease Foundation, which represents the interests of patients, the actual number of infections in the Netherlands is significantly higher than the official reports, because not every infection is recognized as legionella.
The patient association believes that citizens should be better protected. “In Belgium, the public is immediately warned if a farmer’s sprinkler system is identified as a source several times,” says secretary Diana Snijder. “That doesn’t happen in the Netherlands.”
Also read:
Esther Bout had legionella infection: ‘Death was not far away’
She warns at the beginning of the conversation that she often has to think a little longer about a question. Esther Bout (53) has not yet recovered from the legionella infection that she contracted last summer. “It was really traumatic.
After corona comes the silent killer legionella: ‘The fear of contamination is real’
The Legionella bacteria settle in standing water between 20 and 50 degrees. When sports halls and hotels started their installations again after the corona time, concerns arose about their water pipes.