Chauffeurs could be at risk of Legionnaires’

Professional drivers could have a higher risk of developing Legionnaires’, according to a report by Health Protection Agency.

Windscreen wiper water may be the cause of 20% of cases of Legionnaires’ disease in England and Wales, the report warned and drivers who are behind the wheel for many hours could be at higher risk.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has said that simply adding screenwash to wiper fluid kills the bacteria and could save lives. Researchers carried out a case-control study, surveying the driving habits and known risk factors of the 75 surviving Legionnaires’ patients whose infection was community-acquired between July 2008 and March 2009 in England and Wales.

They also surveyed a matched control group to see which exposures were more common in those with disease. They calculated that about 22% of infections in people under 70 could be attributed to being in a car without screenwash.

The HPA says more research is needed to see whether using screenwash could help prevent the disease and that they are looking into this.