The family of 75-year-old Pamela Farmer decided to travel from the UK to Florida in May 2022 to rest. They did not imagine, however, that the vacation would be interrupted after the matriarch took a simple bath in a hot tub.
Pamela contracted Legionnaires’ disease, a severe pneumonia caused by the bacteria Legionella pneumophila, which is transmitted through contaminated water. The infection mainly affects the elderly and causes flu-like symptoms.
Just a few days after the start of the stay, the elderly woman started coughing, had difficulty breathing and bruises all over her body. Still in Florida, she was taken to the hospital and doctors closed the diagnosis of Legionnaires’ disease.
Frightened by the unexpected problem, Pamela’s family cut short their holidays and returned to the UK so that she could continue her treatment at home. Despite this, the woman’s lungs were severely damaged by the bacteria.
Nine months after the event, Pamela’s daughter, Lindsay Martin, says her mother is still living with the effects of the disease. The main one is fatigue, which resembles the extreme fatigue of cases of Covid-19.
Swimming pools and bathtubs
A Legionella pneumophila, which causes the disease, is a bacterium that lives in aquatic environments, including lakes and streams. However, in natural water sources, the amount of Legionella existing is very small, and the risk of contamination is low.
The perfect environment for the bacteria are artificial water reservoirs such as swimming pools, bathtubs and fountains.
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