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Health warning to gardeners using potting mix
Whilst many in the Industry are aware of the dangers of legionella longbeachae, a bacteria commonly found in potting mix, no one knows it better than Anthony Scott, LVML member and this year's Industry Awards Head Judge.
Anthony became so ill after making special mixes for his vegetable garden using potting mix and other bagged organic matter he spent 7 days in hospital in late December last year.
Not only that, it has taken Anthony up until now to feel 90% back to normal. He still feels remnants of the symptoms and has a persistent cough he never had before. It can have a huge impact on your way of life and your ability to work.
"We have some awareness in the industry that these things can happen, and you do have to be unlucky", remarks Anthony. "But if you are dealing with this stuff, you need to consider the safety aspects just as if you were dealing with machinery or power tools."
"The industry is well positioned to educate the public in how to safely work in their own back yards, particularly gardeners working in residential properties with clients who have a keen gardening interest."
And it happens more than you hear about. 3AW shared a story in early October regarding the loss of a 79 year old man to Legionella.
He was a fairly fit man who simply opened a bag of potting soil for his wife - he didn't even touch the soil. Within a day or so of not feeling well and given the state of play these days, he went and had a COVID test. The next day he had become so unwell his family called an ambulance and after a short stint in the Emergency Room, he ended up in the ICU ward, intubated, then passing away only 4 days later. 34 people in Victoria have been reported of having Legionella Longbeachae infection since January 2021. The message from the 3AW family, and from Anthony, is that it's important to speak up about it, to put more prominent warnings on the bags, and educate people of the issue.
The Victorian Department of Health has a Health alert on its website with information about what it is, who is at risk, symptoms and transmission. They call Legionnaires disease an 'urgent' notifiable condition that must be notified to the department by medical practitioners.
THE FACTS
Legionella longbeachae is a cause of Legionnairs' disease, a form of pneumonia.
• Early symptoms resemble the flu and begin to appear two to ten days after exposure.
• The risk of disease is increased with age, smoking, and in people with weakened immune systems.
• Legionnaires' disease can be fatal in a small number of people in these at-risk groups.
• The ingredients and dampness in potting mix makes it an ideal breeding ground for the bacteria.
• To minimise the risk of exposure, gardeners should always follow the manufacturer's safety instructions, wear a mask and gloves when handling soil, compost or potting mix, and wash hands with soap and water after handling soil and before eating, drinking, smoking or placing hands near the face or mouth. ANTHONY SCOTT
ANTHONY SCOTT LANDSCAPE DESIGN
LVML MEMBER & HEAD JUDGE, 2021 INDUSTRY AWARDS
LINKS TO SOURCES:
https://www.health.vic.gov.au/health-advisories/health-warning-to-gardeners-using-potting-mix https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/ConditionsAndTreatments/legionnaires-disease https://omny.fm/shows/afternoons-with-dee-dee/heartbroken-familys-warning-after-bag-of-potting-m
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