JONATHAN DOW
Legionnaires disease linked to roof-collected tank water which has killed one man in Auckland and infected at least one other is rare, Hawke's Bay District Health Board medical officer of health Lester Calder said.
But it pays to keep your water tanks clean and water treated, Dr Calder said, even
though the one or two cases of legionnaires disease in Hawke's Bay each year have been isolated.
Local health officials followed up the two cases of legionnaires notified last year to try and find the source and would talk to the community if they needed to, Dr Calder said.
Legionella spores have been found in household roof-collected water systems for the first time in Beachlands, Auckland, where legionnaires disease has killed an 80-year-old man, infected a 40-year-old man, and has health officials monitoring three others.
"It is very rare that water is thought to be the source," Dr Calder said.
"But there's no reason why it can't be, which is why people need to make sure their tank is clean and water is treated - not just for legionnaires, but for other diseases as well."
Legionnaires disease cannot be contracted by drinking water that is contaminated, nor can it be passed from one person to another. It is acquired after inhaling mists or spray from a water source that contains Legionella bacteria.
Only very rarely does contact with Legionella bacteria lead to infection. Most peoples' natural immunity is able to stop them from becoming ill. The disease most often affects those who smoke heavily, have chronic lung disease or have underlying medical conditions that lower their immune resistance.
Medical officers in Auckland suspect the source vapour from a contaminated water blaster could have been the source of the contamination.
They recommended people keep their water tanks clean and always treat their water.
