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WA Health is urging people to take care when handling potting mix, compost, mulch and garden soil: breathing dust or tiny water droplets from contaminated material can expose them to Legionella longbeachae, a bacterium that can cause serious pneumonia. Wear gloves and a well-fitting disposable face mask, keep material damp, and wash your hands after gardening. If you become unwell in the days afterward, contact a doctor promptly and mention the exposure.
How can gardening materials expose you to Legionella?
WA Health’s 31 August 2026 spring alert says notifications linked to potting mix and garden soil typically rise in spring, when people return to planting, mulching and other gardening. Legionnaires’ disease is a serious form of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria. Legionella longbeachae is commonly found in potting mix, compost, mulch and garden soil; exposure can occur by breathing contaminated dust or tiny water droplets released while handling those materials. WA Health’s spring warning
How L. longbeachae spreads from garden soils is not fully understood. WA Health says it may be inhaled or passed from contaminated hands to the mouth, and that bacteria can remain on hands. There are currently no strategies to control or eliminate L. longbeachae growing in commercial garden soils, so safe handling is important; household precautions should not be treated as a way to sterilise soil or remove all risk. WA Health guidance on Legionella and garden soils
How to reduce exposure while gardening
WA Health recommends these precautions when handling potting mix, compost or soil. They also apply to bulk materials such as a trailer load of mulch, according to Healthy WA’s household guidance.
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- Put on gloves and a well-fitting disposable face mask before handling the material. Official guidance does not specify a mask brand, model or filtration rating.
- Open bags carefully with scissors rather than tearing them, which can release dust.
- Dampen the mix before use and keep it damp while working to minimise dust.
- Wash your hands thoroughly after gardening, including before removing your face mask.
- Store unused potting mix in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight.
These steps are precautions, not a guarantee against infection. Healthy WA’s household advice
Symptoms to watch for after handling potting mix or soil
Symptoms may begin up to 10 days after exposure. The usual incubation period is 2 to 10 days, and symptoms in most cases appear after 5 to 6 days, according to Healthy WA. The illness can resemble severe influenza. Symptoms listed by WA Health include:
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- Fever and chills
- Muscle aches and headache
- Dry cough
- Tiredness and loss of appetite
- Shortness of breath
Symptoms alone cannot confirm Legionnaires’ disease; diagnosis requires medical tests. If you develop symptoms after gardening or handling potting mix, seek medical attention promptly and tell the doctor about the recent exposure. WA Health says early diagnosis and antibiotic treatment can significantly improve outcomes. Healthy WA’s Legionnaires’ disease overview
Who is at greater risk, and how common is it?
Anyone can become infected, but older people, smokers and people with weakened immune systems are at greater risk of serious illness. Healthy WA also identifies people over 50 and people with chronic conditions such as lung disease, diabetes or kidney disease as groups at increased risk.
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WA Health reported 82 notifications of L. longbeachae over the past three years; 42 people required hospital treatment and two died. The alert does not specify the exact dates covered by “the past three years,” so these figures should not be read as calendar-year totals or as a measure of an individual gardener’s risk. WA Health’s 2026 alert
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Garden-soil Legionella is different from water-system Legionella
L. longbeachae is associated with garden soils and growing media. Legionella pneumophila is associated with contaminated water systems, including cooling towers, spas and some plumbing systems. The garden-handling precautions above address potential exposure to soil and growing media; they are not a substitute for controls on water systems. Healthy WA’s disease overview
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Legionnaires’ disease is not caught from other people or through contact with animals; person-to-person transmission has not been documented. Healthy WA’s Legionellosis summary
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