Most drivers know it’s a bad idea to skimp on windshield wiper fluid and use regular water instead. In case the thought ever crossed your mind, here’s a good reason not to: Using water can cause Legionnaires’ disease.
Warm, stagnant water is the perfect breeding ground for Legionella bacterium, which if inhaled causes pneumonia. A recent study by the U.K. Health Protection Agency found that people who drive for their professions are five times more likely to be infected with the disease and using water instead of wiper fluid was responsible for 20% of the country’s cases.
A rare flulike disease, Legionnaires’ mostly affects older people and causes fatigue, headaches, dry cough and fever. It kills 10 to 15% of the people it infects.
The study found that those most at risk were older men who drive through industrial areas, leave the windows open while traveling or use vans. The report says that simply adding windshield wiper fluid — which will kill the bacterium — can substantially lower one’s risk of getting the disease. And it costs about $2 for a giant container of it at almost any gas station.
