Legionella health alert in showers (From Bournemouth Echo)

Legionella health alert in showers

7:00pm Thursday 25th September 2008 in

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LEGIONELLA bacteria - the cause of deadly Legionnaires' disease - has been discovered in water at Poole Police Station.

The bacteria traces were found in two showers - one for staff, one for prisoners - during routine water tests. No one has fallen ill.

Both showers were sealed off after the test results came back positive on Tuesday.

A police spokesman said: "Dorset Police has standard procedures in place to ensure that its water systems are maintained to minimise the chances of traces of bacteria being found. The two affected showers were immediately sealed off and taken out of use after the testing of routine water samples. A naturally occurring water-borne bacteria, Legionella is very common in the natural environment." He added: "Along with their water systems, they are due to be disinfected and sterilised by specialist contractors on Saturday."

The ageing police station at the Poole Civic Centre is due to be replaced by a new police station at the former fire station site on Wimborne Road.

No other buildings in the civic centre were affected.

People catch Legionnaires' disease by inhaling small droplets of water suspended in the air, which contain the bacteria. The symptoms are similar to those of flu. Most people exposed to legionella pneumophilia - the bacterium causing the disease - do not become ill. The disease does not spread from person to person.