Warning over windscreen wiper water
14 June 10
An investigation has showed that windscreen water may be the cause of 20 per cent of cases of Legionnaires Disease in England and Wales.
With 345 cases in England and Wales in 2009 The Health Protection Agency carried out a questionnaire of infected people to try and establish why people who spend a long time behind the wheel were at higher risk of infection. The results are surprising.
With warm stagnant water being a breeding ground for Legionella bacterium the bug takes advantage of water systems that are not cleaned out such as the water system in vehicles. The bug does not spread from person to person it is breathed in when it gets into the air in mist or fine particles.
The most at risk people were professional drivers who are five times more likely to be infected along with van drivers and those who drove through industrial areas.
Staveley Head the van insurance broker appreciate Legionnaires Disease is rare, but it does kill people so anything that can be done to increase awareness can only be beneficial.
A pilot study found traces of Legionella in one in five cars that did not have screen wash therefore the biggest risk is something as simple as not adding screen wash.
Professor Hugh Pennington, an expert in bacteriology, said the advice to add screen wash was very sound - especially as it would also lead to a cleaner windscreen.
He also added “If you can prevent it with something this simple then it's a no brainer really.”
Staveley Head is a leading provider of Van Insurance in the UK.
For more information regarding this article, or to compare Van Insurance quotes, contact Staveley Head on 0845 017 9991.
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