At least eleven people in the Netherlands have contracted legionella since July 2022, in two fatal cases, due to infections that were probably caused by central heating boilers from manufacturer Ferroli. That writes the company Thursday in a statement, based on a risk analysis by the RIVM. The institute calls the combi boilers as “the most likely cause of these infections”.
The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority has a security warning issued for company boilers and calls on people to carry out a cleaning. It concerns boilers of the BlueSense and BlueHelix type, which were produced after 1 January 2022. The serial numbers of the boilers in question start with 22 or 23, corresponding to the year in which they were made. All installers have now been notified.
Legionella, also known as legionnaires’ disease, is a bacteria that often causes flu-like symptoms and can sometimes lead to severe pneumonia. In the latter case, admission to a hospital and treatment with antibiotics is often necessary. Legionnaires’ disease can be fatal for vulnerable people. Infection occurs by inhaling droplets of water mist containing the legionella bacteria, for example in the shower. Drinking contaminated water usually does not make people sick, and the bacteria cannot be passed on from person to person.
The RIVM advises people to request a legionella-safe filter shower head from Ferroli as a temporary measure. Another option is to set the boiler temperature to at least 60 degrees and to prevent the atomization of water, for example by showering without a shower head and not letting a bubble bath bubble. This should provide safety until an installer can clean the boiler. The boiler and water pipes are rinsed at a high temperature, the shower hose and shower head are replaced and the thermostatic mixing valve is cleaned.