What is Legionnaires’ Disease?
What is Legionnaires’ disease? Legionnaires’ Disease is a type of pneumonia with atypical (other than typical) symptoms in the lungs. It is a dangerous disease with a “High Mortality Rate”, which has a fatal effect especially in advanced age groups, as it progresses rapidly and seriously damages the lung capacity. It takes its name from the professional characteristics of the people who have the disease. To shed some light on this issue, it would be correct to first talk about the meaning of the word Legionnaire.
Where Does the Name Legionnaire Come From?
The word legionnaire is the name given to the special units in the Roman Army. Legionnaires were people whose job was to serve in the military. They received regular training, performed duties such as war, protection, fortification, and received a monthly salary. At the end of their 20-year tenure, they were given land and money, received their “Diploma”, which was accepted as a retirement notice, and were now called “Veteranus” for the rest of their lives. Since they had the most advanced military tactics, weapons and armor in their time, they became the nightmare of all the societies they fought against. About the Roman Legions, who suffered their greatest defeat in history in the “Battle of the Teutoburg Forest” against the German clans in 9 AD, the commander of the time, Emperor Augustus, said to God, “Give me back my Legions! ” has been sung in countless books and movies after great losses and has almost become a cult. All special forces soldiers who served outside the borders of the country after the Roman period were called “Legionnaires” because of the impact they had on the stage of history. However, the subject of Legionnaires’ disease is not such an old disease in history.
What is Legionnaires’ Disease? History of Legionnaires’ Disease
What is Legionnaires’ disease? It was first seen in 1976 at the Bellevue-Strartford Hotel in Philadelphia, USA. To celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, about 2000 retired “Legionnaires” from the U.S. Army Special Forces gathered in this hotel to celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. At the end of the 3-day organization consisting of meetings, seminars, meals and entertainment, they returned to their homes and started to fall ill one by one. Within a week after the meeting, 130 veteran soldiers who participated in the organization fell ill and 25 of them died. In the following days, the number of veterans who got sick increased and this resulted in the closure of the hotel in November 1976. In order to investigate these deaths, the cause of which cannot be understood, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (English: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC) started an investigation in the entire hotel, collected samples from all areas of the hotel, from dining sets, carpets, tables to ventilation systems, and started working on these samples. has begun. At the end of the 5th month of the studies, in January 1977, “Legionella Pneumophila” bacteria were produced in the samples taken from the ventilation systems of the hotel. “Pneumo” means lung in Latin and “Phila” means one who loves. Hence Pneumophila means lung loving. The bacterium “Legionella Pneumophila” is taken into the respiratory tract and causes acute lower respiratory tract infection characterized by signs of pneumonia. As a result of this infection, the “alveoli” in the lungs are damaged.
Effects of Legionnaires’ Disease
Alveoli are the structures in the form of air sacs that provide oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange between the red blood cells and capillaries, which are located at the end of the bronchioles in the lung, surrounded by a capillary network. Respiratory system and “Alveoli” can be seen in the tables below.
As a result of this developing inflammation, tissue damage occurs within the alveoli and as a result of this damage, the organ cannot fulfill its task of substance exchange. As a result, the oxygen level in the body decreases. The disease, which is aggravated by findings such as high fever, diarrhea, and confusion, has a high mortality rate, especially in patients over 65 years of age, with a history of cancer, with COPD, using immunosuppressive drugs such as corticosteroids (cortisone), and with a history of smoking. Considering its course and results, it is a very frightening disease because it does not respond to “Beta Lactam” group antibiotics, has multiple involvement in the scattered structure of the lungs, and lowers the heart rate unlike other febrile diseases.
This bacterium multiplies the sudden heat changes in the filter systems of water tanks, tanks and air conditioners and disperses from these areas to the ambient air. In a study conducted by the Turkish Thoracic Society, “Legionella Pneumophila” was found in 26% of 50 cooling towers in Istanbul, in 15 of 22 water distribution systems in hospitals in Malatya, and in 19% of 491 samples taken from the water and ventilation systems of hotels in Alanya. Various subgroups of bacteria have grown.
What is Legionnaires’ Disease? How to Prevent?
These data have once again shown us the importance of regular cleaning of water and air distribution systems. Today, we work and live in 80% indoor areas and using electronic ventilation systems, both in business and home life. It is important to carry out the necessary maintenance for these ventilation systems to work efficiently and to keep them clean.Cleaning of these systems is of great importance especially in campuses where electronic HVAC, English: Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning systems are used, such as factories, work towers, hospitals, schools.
In our country, stone acid or different acidic materials are generally used for cleaning these systems. These materials are diluted with water and the entire system is washed.The main problem in this process occurs during rinsing of the acid mixture used. Rinsing is done by spraying water at high pressure, which can damage the overall system.On the side, a condenser corroded due to acid application and bent fins due to pressure is seen. For this reason, the use of acid-free products will help extend the life of the condensers and then all system components.The use of acid-free cleaners, which do not require the use of high-cost protective clothing and masks, also provides positive contributions in terms of user health and occupational safety.In case of cleaning the system with acid-free products and using “preventive” products on the condenser pans after cleaning, all kinds of bacteria, mold and fungus formation in the battery and discharge outlets can be prevented.In this way, difficult to apply maintenance of sensitive and easily damaged “fins” will be eliminated.As Pulsar Kimya, with our nature-friendly products that do not harm user health, we comply with IGS criteria.We can get your HVAC systems cleaned.
REFERENCES
- https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lejyoner
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Give_Me_Back_My_Legions
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Teutoburg_Forest
- Dr. Ayşe Nigar HALİS, İstanbul Mehmet Akif Ersoy Göğüs Ve Kalp Damar Cerrahisi Eğitim Araştırma Hastanesi Göğüs Hastalıkları Uzmanı, Lejyoner Hastalığında Tanı ve Tedavi Sunumu, Ekim 2015
- http://www.sanatsalbilgi.com/DOKUMANLAR/14/akcigerlerin-yapisi-ve-gorevleri-966.html
- https://tr.pinterest.com/pin/549087379564513518/
- https://bikifi.com/biki/alveol