Gardeners warned to wash their hands after using compost as rare strain of Legionnaire's disease infects six in Scotland
- One man has died and five taken ill in unrelated cases
- Rare strain is 'Legionella longbeachae', which authorities believe comes from compost
- Six compost cases are first to be confirmed in Britain
Gardeners have been warned to wash their hands after using compost following a cluster of cases of deadly Legionnaires disease.
A rare strain of the illness has killed one man in Scotland and made five others ill in the past five years.
While the risk is small, experts urged gardeners to take simple precautions such as wearing gloves and a dust mask while potting plants.
Handle with care: Gardeners have today been warned to wash their hands after using compost due to a rare strain of Legionnaire's disease that has infected six people in Scotland
This strain has been linked to compost in Australia and New Zealand but these are the first British victims thought to be affected.
All of the sufferers were keen gardeners, and doctors across the UK have been alerted to ask about compost if they see patients with unusual pneumonia. The Royal Horticultural Society has advised people to wash their hands thoroughly after handling soil, compost, fertiliser or pesticides.
SYMPTOMS OF LEGIONELLA LONGBEACHAE
Symptoms of Legionella longbeachae include headaches, diarrhoea or a dry cough followed by pneumonia.
Most people recover after taking a course of antibiotics.
The rare form of Legionella longbeachae cannot be detected through normal tests.
It is normally caused by the bug Legionella pneumophili, which lives naturally in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, and can also be found in man-made structures containing water such as air conditioning systems
Its chief adviser Guy Barter said elderly people and those with weakened immune systems were most at risk from Legionnaires – a deadly respiratory infection which causes a high fever, muscle pain and a persistent cough.
He said: ‘We’d suggest not opening bags of compost or potting media with your head right over and to consider wearing a dust mask when turning compost heaps.’ The strain, called legionella longbeachae, is found naturally in soil but very rarely causes disease in this country. More than 98 per cent of cases are caused by legionella pneumonophila bacteria.
Both forms are spread by tiny water droplets in the air. They are not contagious and can be treated with antibiotics if caught early – but around one in ten cases are fatal.
In 2010, doctors in Paisley, Scotland, told how a previously healthy 67-year-old man came in to hospital with the rare strain after an eight-day fever.
They told the Lancet medical journal the man, who survived, was a keen gardener who had cut his index finger while planting with compost.
Dr Martin Donaghy, medical director of Health Protection Scotland, said: ‘We need to take steps to reduce the risk.’