[ original article found here: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318106.php ] Gardening this weekend? Beware of the compost Published Saturday 24 June 2017 / by Honor Whiteman Inhaling or ingesting compost may raise the risk of Legionnaires' disease. If you're planning to revel in some gardening this weekend, be sure to wash your hands after. New research finds that activities involving exposure to compost may increase a person's risk of Legionnaires' disease.Legionnaires' disease is a form of pneumonia most commonly caused by the bacterium Legionella pneumophila, which is found in lakes, streams, and other freshwater terrains. Legionnaires' disease is contracted when people inhale small water droplets contaminated with L. pneumophila. This may occur through showering using a water system in which the bacterium has grown and multiplied, for example. One lesser known cause of…