Just read these interesting findings in a BBC news item today:

"Windscreen wiper water may be the cause of 20% of cases of Legionnaire's Disease in England and Wales, the Health Protection Agency says.

Stagnant, warm water is a breeding ground for the Legionella bacterium, which when inhaled causes pneumonia.

Yet adding screenwash kills the bacteria and could save lives, the Agency advised.

The finding came after researchers spotted that professional drivers are five times more likely to be infected."

BBC News

It makes me wonder about the fine-mist water fans that seem to be proliferating in Asia. Do they pose a health risk from bacteria if not properly maintained?

Properly Maintained? Surely you are joking.

Preventative maintenance doesn't exist in Asia - ever seen a fan in some open air Thai restaurant that isn't coated with 8 years of dirt and dust? Post your pictures if you have.

Edited June 14, 201016 yr by bkkjames

Properly Maintained? Surely you are joking.

Preventative maintenance doesn't exist in Asia - ever seen a fan in some open air Thai restaurant that isn't coated with 8 years of dirt and dust? Post your pictures if you have.

If there is no storage tank for the water it should be ok. The bacteria usually needs a tank to grow in. One of the last out breaks in the US was at a grocery store in Louisiana. The storade tank for the proudce spray had not been cleaned for some time and people walking thru the spray became infected. If you have a good immune system more than likely you will not become to sick. The water droplets have to be large enough to carry the bacteria but small enough to enter your lungs.

If you are healthy no worries.

If I were you Id worry more about the other people driving cars in Thailand than whats in your water bottle, reason is they are much much more likely to kill you!

"The finding came after researchers spotted that professional drivers are five times more likely to be infected."

Five times more than who? Five times more than an astronaut, five times more than a professional footballer. BBC reporters are famous for leaving the door open to progress their careers, why else would they be at BBC. We have to be very careful about how they have interpreted information. In this case, there might be 1 case per million persons in the general population. They have then found 5 drivers(by trade definition) who out of 1,000,000 drivers had contracted Legionnaire's Disease. What they might not have mentioned is all these drivers were bus drivers, or ambulance drivers hence receiving greater exposure. What about the differing types of air-conditioning systems as per OP's remark. If Legionnaire's Disease was such a threat in window wiper reservoirs, then the incidence of Legionnaire's Disease world wide would be overbearing!!!! Africa/Asia/China everywhere!!

Someone should warn him: