Why office air conditioning can be deadly

Air conditioners can be seen in almost all modern offices today. This technique is certainly useful and allows you to work comfortably in the summer. But in some cases, it can be a source of mortal danger.

Today, air conditioning is an integral part of almost any office and apartment. But this device, which saves us in the summer, could help spread a deadly bacterium.

Air conditioners have become familiar to us for a long time. They can be found not only in offices but also in shops and any enclosed spaces. Air conditioners take air from the room and run it through a refrigerant, which, when evaporated, cools the gas entering it.

However, in this case, the water in the air begins to condense in the air conditioner due to the temperature difference. Condensation most often comes out and falls on the asphalt under the window – because of this; puddles appear under houses with many air conditioners in summer. But this seemingly harmless effect can pose a danger to human health.

The fact is that part of the condensate can be carried back into the room with the air. Moisture begins to spread in an apartment or office in the form of an aerosol. It happens that various microorganisms can enter the air conditioning system, for example, amoeba. By themselves, they are not nearly as dangerous as the bacteria that infect them.

Amoebas can infect bacteria of the genus Legionella. These organisms prefer to live in aquatic environments and at temperatures between 25 ° C and 42 ° C. They often end up in large air conditioning systems in office buildings and, with water aerosols, spread throughout the employees’ premises. Once in the human body, Legionella causes the so-called “Legionnaires’ disease,” or Pittsburgh pneumonia. This disease received this name when it was first diagnosed in combat veterans who gathered at the convention of the American Legion in 1976.

With this disease, a person’s temperature rises sharply, symptoms of intoxication and lung damage are observed. If treatment is not started on time, bacteria will begin to affect the nervous system and can even cause multiple organ failures, which are often fatal. You should immediately call an ambulance at the onset of symptoms since hospitalization and strong antibiotics are necessary to treat legionellosis.