Windscreen wiper water linked to Legionnaires' Disease

Windscreen wiper water may be the cause of 20% of cases of Legionnaires' Disease in England and Wales, the UK's Health Protection Agency has said..

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

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

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

Early symptoms feel similar to flu with muscle aches, tiredness, headaches, dry cough and fever. It is fatal in around 10-15% of patients.

To work out why people who spend a long time driving were at higher risk of infection, the research team in the south-west branch of the HPA carried out a questionnaire of people infected.

They found that those most at risk were those who drove or travelled in a van, those who drove through industrial areas, and those who spent a lot of time in the car or who often had the car window open.

In all they found that the biggest risk was associated with not adding screenwash to windscreen wiper water.

Dr Isabel Oliver, regional director of the HPA South West, said more research was needed but people may want to check they have screenwash in their cars as they usually contain agents which would stop the growth of bacteria.

"It does not spread from person to person but is present in water environments and is breathed in when it gets into the air in fine particles or mist."