Gardeners warned to take care after surge in cases of life-threatening disease

People have been urged to take care dealing with soil and potting mix after the concerning rise of a potentially fatal disease.

A surge in cases of a potentially fatal disease has prompted a warning from health experts who say some “really basic stuff” is all it takes to prevent infection.

Confirmed cases of Legionnaire’s disease have risen to 660 for the year to October 16, up from a five-year average of about 400 cases annually.

The disease, which is contracted by inhaling contaminated water droplets or dust, can cause life-threatening pneumonia.

Melbourne University School of Health Sciences head Bruce Thompson said Legionnaire’s disease was easily preventable but could cause “horrible” suffering.

Potting mix was a key threat that gardeners needed to be acutely aware of, he told 3AW.

“If you think of a bag full of all soil … it’s not a big stretch to think there’s probably bugs in that,” Professor Thompson said.

Professor Bruce Thompson says mask wearing is an easy preventive measure to reduce the threat of Legionnaire’s disease. Picture: Supplied

Be careful when handling potting mix. Picture: Supplied

“As soon as you open it up and disturb it, any bacteria, especially the legionella bacteria that can sit in potting mix, will be like a big plume.

“When you breathe that in, then that potentially sits in another really nice warm environment like your lungs and then starts growing and potentially gives you horrible pneumonia.”

Wearing a face mask would greatly reduce the chances of inhaling the bacteria and becoming unwell, Professor Thompson said.

“I went to the back shed and opened up the bag of potting mix, and lo and behold it says ‘wear a face mask’,” he said.

“So it’s there for a reason and it would significantly reduce the potential of getting what’s actually a really horrible, preventable disease.”

Hand washing after handling potting mix or soil was also important, Professor Thompson said.

“Some really basic stuff is really helpful to prevent what can actually be a life-threatening condition.”

Symptoms of Legionnaire’s disease can include a fever, fatigue and a dry cough.

It is particularly dangerous to middle-aged and older people, especially smokers or people with chronic lung disease, NSW Health executive director Jeremy McAnulty warned.

‘‘Most people who breathe in the bacteria don’t become ill, but the risk of infection increases if you’re older, a smoker or have a weakened immune system,” Dr McAnulty said.

“Wetting the potting mix first also helps prevent any contaminated potting mix dust blowing up into the air and being inhaled.”

It comes after a NSW woman in her 60s died from the disease after using potting mix.

The woman died after being rushed to hospital with severe symptoms.

In September last year, a 79-year-old man from Melbourne died of the disease after opening a bag of potting mix that he did not use, developing symptoms only two days afterwards.