Bibby Stockholm legionella cleanup could take a week, says expert

The Bibby Stockholm barge will need to be thoroughly disinfected, the expert said. Photograph: Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images

The clean-up of legionella bacteria on the Bibby Stockholm barge could take around a week, an expert has said, after asylum seekers were evacuated from the vessel following the detection of the health hazard.

Legionella can cause legionnaires’ disease, a type of severe pneumonia, if small droplets of water containing the bacteria are inhaled. In some cases, legionnaires’ disease can be fatal.