Warning about Potting Mix and Compost (Legionnaires’ Disease)
Gardeners need to take care when opening bags of potting mix or handling compost so they do not contract legionnaires' disease. Legionnaires’ Disease is a pneumonia caused by bacteria that are commonly found in water and soils, including potting mix and compost. Potting mix was the likely source of the infection in eleven cases in Canterbury this summer that resulted in one death.
Canterbury Medical Officer of Health Alistair Humphrey said it was important to be aware of how to handle potting mix safely. Recommendations for safe handling are printed on most bags of potting mix.
- Take care to avoid inhaling the dust when opening and handling potting mix.
- Using a mask is a great idea.
- Bags should be carefully opened in a well-ventilated area, preferably outdoors, and away from the face.
- Dampening down the mix with gentle watering is advised.
- Also make sure that you always wash your hands after handling potting mix and doing any gardening.
Risk factors for contracting legionnaire's disease include being over 50 years of age, having a long term illness (particularly a respiratory illness), being a smoker or having low immunity. Symptoms may include dry coughing, high fever, chills, diarrhoea, shortness of breath, chest pains, headaches, excessive sweating, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
Anyone with these symptoms who has been handling potting mix or compost recently should seek advice from their General Practitioner..
The bacteria which causes legionnaire's disease is in all types of mix. It requires warmth and moisture to grow. Once the potting mix dries, the bacteria either turns into spores or dies. Dampening down "new" compost helps reduce the risk of dried compost and spores blowing around shortly after it has been released froma warm dry environment.
Summer time, between late September and early March is the most likely time to catch legionnaire's disease when more people are out in thier gardens and enjoying the sunshine.
Community and Public Health publishes a pamphlet on Legionnaire's Disease, which is available to both download or order. Also available is the Ministry of Health's Safer and Healthier Gardening, which includes information on Legionnaire's Disease.
Cryptosporidium Outbreak in Canterbury
Parents are being reminded to prevent their children from swimming in public swimming pools within two weeks of having diarrhoea following an outbreak of cryptosporidium, a parasite which causes severe stomach cramps and diarrhoea.
Canterbury District Health Board’s Community and Public Health division is trying to identify the source of the cryptosporidium outbreak. There have been 57 confirmed cases of cryptosporidium in Christchurch this year. Cryptosporidium symptoms can last for a few days to several weeks. The illness usually settles on its own with rehydration.
“The source of the disease may be farm animals or contaminated water or person to person spread,” Medical Officer of Health Dr Ramon Pink said. “Typically we see an increase in the Spring associated with farming activities. We are concentrating our efforts around the confirmed cases in metropolitan Christchurch but no one source has been identified as yet.”
He said it was essential for people who have had a diarrhoeal illness to stay out of public swimming pools, school swimming pools, or private pools, for at least two weeks after symptoms have settled, to reduce the risk of further spread. “With the current run of fine weather, and with schools holding their swimming sports days, it is important parents do not allow their children to swim within two weeks of having diarrhoea.”
The Community and Public Health team will be interviewing all people with confirmed cryptosporidiosis over the next few days and analysing the data in an attempt to identify a common source. The results will be available later this week, but Dr. Pink said it may be difficult to identify the exact source.
For more information, contact the Communicable Diseases staff, or download the Ministry of Health's Cryptosporidium pamphlet, which available to order from the Community Health Information Centre.
Influenza Advice
Pregnant women, very overweight people, children aged under five (on the advice of their doctor) and people with long term medical conditions are urged to have a free seasonal influenza vaccination, which includes protection against pandemic influenza (swine flu), this month.
This is because these groups of people are at higher risk of becoming seriously ill with pandemic influenza.
The northern hemisphere experience suggests that the influenza season will arrive as early as late March or early April in New Zealand this year and pandemic influenza or swine flu is predicted to initially be the main strain. This year’s vaccine protects against three strains of influenza - the H1N1 pandemic influenza and two other strains of influenza that are also expected to be circulating this winter.
Medical Officer of Health Dr Alistair Humphrey says people at risk of serious complications from influenza should aim to have the free seasonal flu vaccine as soon as possible as it takes up to two weeks following immunisation to develop immunity against the viruses.
While most people who had swine flu last year experienced a mild dose, some people were severely affected. People who were more likely to be severely affected included pregnant women, very overweight people, people (including children) with long term conditions such as asthma, other long term respiratory conditions, diabetes and heart disease, and also young children in high deprivation areas.
People over 65 years who are otherwise well are encouraged to have their seasonal flu vaccine in April because they have a higher risk of complications from other strains of influenza. Other people who do not fit into one of the at-risk groups can also wait until April for their seasonal flu vaccine. By then, more seasonal vaccine will be in GP surgeries.
Health workers too are being encouraged to have the seasonal influenza vaccination, to prevent them from getting sick and from spreading influenza to their vulnerable patients. The Ministry of Health made another pandemic-specific vaccine available to health workers in February.
More than 3500 frontline health workers at the Canterbury District Health Board have received their first dose and further clinics are currently being held so staff can receive their booster dose. A further 3000 health workers in the community were vaccinated in February. “Health workers’ response has been truly outstanding,” Dr Humphrey said. “This shows they are not taking any chances with pandemic influenza this year.”
Other ways to protect against influenza include:
- Washing and drying your hands thoroughly (20 seconds washing and 20 seconds drying)
- Staying away from school or work if you are unwell.
- Covering your coughs and sneezes.
For more information, see your GP or visit the CDHB Flu Info website.
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