Aussies warned over common household mistake spreading deadly disease amid outbreak
Legionnaires' disease has recently killed two people in Melbourne and scientists are warning 'hotspots' in our homes could be increasing the risk of infection.
As Australian health officials work to contain the spread of the deadly legionnaires' disease, with there now being over 100 confirmed cases in Victoria, scientists are warning there are "hotspots" in our very own homes increasing the risk of infection.
The deadly lung disease quickly swept across Melbourne in recent weeks, leaving authorities scrambling to limit the spread. Two people, a woman in her 90s and a man in his 60s, have died since the outbreak in the city's west emerged on July 26. According to the state's health department, "most cases have required hospitalisation".
A number of people also required "admission to intensive care for severe community-acquired pneumonia", it said.
Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, microbiologist Claire Hayward of Flinders University said the more vulnerable members of society, including the immunocompromised and the elderly, should be wary of the risks at home.
Researcher's warning to Australians receiving healthcare treatment from home
Dr Hayward said those who receive healthcare treatment from their homes could be at an increased risk of contracting illnesses such as pneumonia, legionnaires’ disease and wound infections from interacting with dirty hand basins.
According to landmark new research from Flinders University, "hand basins may be playing a significant and underestimated role" in healthcare-associated infections. "We found that the biofilms — so that slimy bacterial growth found on the drains of hand washing basins — have a really complex community of bacteria," Hayward told Yahoo.
"Some are completely harmless, but then we did find a number that can be potentially pathogenic and a risk to public health. When we start looking at our vulnerable populations, so the elderly and newborns and those who are immunocompromised — they're really the populations that are at the greatest risk here."
Hayward warned the threat has emerged "as we start to move to towards people receiving healthcare in the home" as an "alternative to extensive inpatient hospital stays", in a bid to reduce the burden on our health care system.
"So we're starting to provide services like chemotherapy, for example, and post surgical care to people at home to make them a bit more comfortable," she said. "We know from past research that outbreaks of healthcare associated-infections have been linked to contaminated drains.
"But how that happens needs a lot more research. What we suspect is when you turn your tap on, the water is coming out of the tap and hitting the drain directly, and this force can dislodge some of the biofilm and create aerosols. And it's those tiny, little droplets of water that can contain the bacteria that we breathe in — subsequently making people ill."
Legionnaires' not the only risk
In addition to legionnaires', other conditions potentially contractable from dirty drains include staphylococcus, that can cause wound infections. "If you're, for example, washing your hands, and you might have a cut on your hand, there are other pathogens that can cause infections in other sites. So it's not just respiratory there's a wide number of pathogens that can be present."
Hayward urged people receiving healthcare treatment from home to remain vigilant when it comes to cleaning their basins, and ensure surfaces are frequently disinfected.
"But what we feel is important to note is that the biofilms that are formed on these drains aren't really a significant risk for normal, happy, healthy people," she added.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
