<i>Legionella</i> risk assessment in cruise ships and ferries
Introduction The increasing development of marine traffic has led to a rise in the incidence of legionellosis among travellers. It occurs in similar environments, especially closed and crowded, and aboard ships<i> Legionella</i> survives and multiplies easily in water pipes, spreading i...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Institute of Rural Health
2017-06-01
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| Series: | Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.journalssystem.com/aaem/Legionella-risk-assessment-in-cruise-ships-and-ferries,74717,0,2.html |
| Summary: | Introduction
The increasing development of marine traffic has led to a rise in the incidence of legionellosis among travellers.
It occurs in similar environments, especially closed and crowded, and aboard ships<i> Legionella</i> survives and multiplies easily in water pipes, spreading into the environment through air conditioning systems and water distribution points. Although in recent years in the construction of cruise ships preventive measures aimed at curbing the proliferation of <i>Legionella</i> (design, materials, focus on the operation and maintenance of the water system), have been taken account, little or no attention has been paid to small ships which, in many cases, are old and not well maintained.
Objective
The aim of the study was to evaluate the frequency and severity of <i>Legionella</i> contamination in ferries and cruise ships in order to adopt more specific control measures.
Material and Methods
A prevalence study was carried out on 10 ferries and 6 cruise ships docking or in transit across the port of Messina (Sicily, Italy). Water and air samples collected from many critical points were tested for qualitative and quantitative identification of <i>Legionella</i>.
Results and conclusions
<i>Legionella pneumophila</i> sg 1 was isolated from the samples of shower and tap water in 7 (70%) of the 10 ferries examined, and in 3 (33%) of the 6 cruise ships examined, and L. pneumophila sg 2–14 in 8 (80%) and 1 (16.7%) of these ships, respectively. No <i>Legionella</i> contamination was found in whirlpool baths, air and ice samples. In conclusion, the data obtained confirm higher levels of <i>Legionella</i> contamination in local ferries and cruise ships, underlining the need
to adopt corrective actions more specific for these smaller vessels. |
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| ISSN: | 1232-1966 1898-2263 |