Video of devotees drinking 'AC water' at temple is viral. It can lead to 'terrifying disease', says Liver Doc

Wastewater from air conditioners contain high amounts of harmful bacteria, the doctor said. (Image credit: @BroominsKaBaap/X)

A video of devotees at a temple drinking wastewater from air conditioners (AC) mistaking it to be "charanamrit" or blessed holy water has gone viral, prompting healthcare professionals to speak out against it. In the clip shared on X, people are also seen carrying paper cups to collect the water dripping out of a stone head.

Although it is not clear where the video was shot, the narrator can be heard cautioning people against drinking it. "The priest told me that this is not charanamrit. It's actually the wastewater from the AC. You may fall ill or get infected if you drink this water," he says to the devotees.

Reacting to the video, clinician-scientist Dr Cyriac Abby Philips, popularly known as "The Liver Doctor" on social media, has strongly urged people to not drink water dripping out of ACs as it contains high amounts of harmful bacteria.

Serious education is needed 100%People are drinking AC water, thinking it is 'Charanamrit' from the feet of God !! pic.twitter.com/bYJTwbvnNK
ZORO (@BroominsKaBaap) November 3, 2024

"Cooling and air conditioning systems are breeding grounds for many types of infections including fungus, some really hellish. Exposure to air conditioning condensed water can lead to a terrifying disease known as Legionnaires' disease, spread by a species of bacteria called Legionella," Dr Philips wrote on X.

He added that people get infected by inhaling infected water droplets or aspirating small amounts of contaminated water into the lungs. "Legionella infection can be self-limiting and non-troublesome, called pontiac fever, or can be severe, leading to death with development of pneumonia," Dr Philips said, adding that patients with legionella infection can also develop other "terrifying troubles" such as brain dysfunction and nerve-muscle related severe problems.