Search Results

Fungi and bacteria are an essential part of the earth environment. In man-made interiors, however, they cause inappropriate decay, and human disease, which, on SSF, could be devastating. Three human diseases caused by environmental microorganisms are of particular concern. Legionnaires' disease is a serious pneumonia, resistant to many antibiotics, and carrying a 15% fatality rate. The organism (Legionella pneumophila) inhabits hot water systems where biofilms have developed. Although normal healthy people are not generally at risk, any impairment of lung defenses allows a few hundred organisms per cubic meter of air to be dangerous. Continuous halogen treatment and maintenance of adequately elevated temperatures combined with monitoring should be effective controls. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is an acute pneumonitic response to inhaled antigens. There may be a synergistic effect between antigen and endotoxin, lowering necessary antigen dose, and increasing attack rates.