Urgent summer health warning to anyone with a hot tub over stealth killer bug

WHETHER you’re basking in rays here in the UK or jetting off somewhere hot, lounging in a hot tub seems like a luxurious way to wind down.

But scientists are reminding Brits that deadly germs can breed inside hot tubs.

Legionnaires’ disease is a serious lung infection caused by Legionella bacteria, which trigger pneumonia in serious cases.

According to the NHS, you can get Legionnaires’ disease if you breathe in tiny droplets of water containing bacteria that causes the infection.

It’s not just hot tubs the bug is lurking in – it can populate ‘almost anything’, according to Dr Simon Clarke, a microbiologist at the University of Reading, including air condition units, taps and showers.

“It’s even been found in car washer bottles filled with tap water instead of detergent windscreen washer,” Dr Clarke told MailOnline, as well as “complex plumbing system[s], shower-heads, hot tubs and decorative fountains”.

But the air-con you use in cars and at home don’t use water, so they don’t pose a threat of infection, he noted.

You should also be weary of taps and showers that aren’t used often, as well as humidifiers and spa pools.

Though Legionella bacteria lurks in the environment, it only becomes a risk to people when it rapidly multiplies – optimal conditions for that being a temperatures ranging 25 to 45 °C, stagnant water and water containing debris, patient.info noted.

It’s usually caught in large buildings like hotels, hospitals or offices where the bacteria have got into the water supply – It’s less common for you to catch it at home.

And it’s especially a issue in warmer climates.

Legionella bacteria can also sit in showers and taps that haven’t been used for a few days, which is why some experts urge holidaymakers to run taps and showers before using them.

MailOnline reported that roughly half of the 300 Brits infected with Legionnaire’s disease every year get it overseas.

What are the symptoms of Legionnaire’s disease?

Dr Clarke said Legionnaire’s disease is not something people should ‘worry about on a day-to-day basis’.

But these are the symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease you should watch out for:

• a cough
• difficulty breathing
• chest pain
• a high temperature
• flu-like symptoms

You might need to go to the hospital if you’re diagnosed with the bug.

You should definitely call NHS 111 if you can’t breathe properly, have chest pain or feel like you have severe flu.

At home, you can reduce the risk of Legionnaires’ disease by removing any build-up around shower heads because this can trap water, says Asthma and Lung UK.

The charity advised you run showers or taps you have not used recently for five minutes every two weeks.

If you own a hot tub or home spa, it is also essential you regularly drain, clean and disinfect it.