NSF International has announced plans to host the inaugural Legionella Conference 2018- Managing Legionella and Other Pathogens in Building Water Systems. The event will take place from May 9 to 11, 2018, in Baltimore. The event will be sponsored by the National Science Foundation.
Experts from industry, academia, public health, medicine and government will all convene to discuss Legionella and other pathogens found in water distribution systems, building water plumbing systems and cooling towers. Attendees will also discuss and learn about the latest trends in monitoring, treatment and management approaches necessary to more effectively prevent the spreading of Legionella in buildings, hospitals and other at-risk facilities.
The conference will also include more than 40 speakers from various organizations, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and others.
“Prevention of Legionnaires’ disease is a complex challenge that requires a team-based approach to be successful as no single industry or profession can solve this issue on its own. The goal of the Legionella Conference is to gather together all the different stakeholders and a diverse group of experts and thought leaders to share ideas and discuss ways of detecting, mitigating and preventing Legionella outbreaks,” said Dave Purkiss, vice president of the Global Water Division at NSF International. “We’re bringing together everyone in building operations- from building owners and managers to members of the engineering and HVAC communities, along with regulators, specifiers and government officials.”
More than 6,000 Americans were diagnosed with the disease throughout 2017. It is caused by inhaling water droplets infected with Legionella bacteria.
