Traces of Legionella bacteria found in three cooling towers in London, Ontario – London
THE Middlesex London Health Unit (MLHU) says it has found evidence of the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease as a local outbreak continues.
MLHU officials said at a news conference Wednesday that 24 cases have been confirmed in the region, with four people currently hospitalized and one confirmed death. 22 cases reported last Friday.
No details about the deceased, including his name, have been released, but he has been confirmed to be over 50 years old.
Legionnaires’ disease is a respiratory illness caused by a bacteria called Legionella, which is commonly found in hot water sources such as hot water tanks and air conditioning systems.
Symptoms include high fever, chills, dry cough and shortness of breath and can lead to pneumonia and begin two to ten days after encountering the bacteria.
The MLHU says a dozen cooling towers within a five-kilometre radius, where the majority of cases live or work, were tested, and evidence of Legionnaires’ disease was found in three of them.
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Dr. Joanne Kearon, the MLHU’s acting medical officer of health, says the investigation will take some time and it’s possible the source won’t be found “for a variety of reasons.”
“A five-kilometre radius is quite a large geographical area, which means the survey could take some time,” Kearon said. “We have already urged vehicle operators to review their maintenance records and systems and ensure they are cleaned and kept up to date. So by the time we do the sampling, the location may have already been cleaned and the risk eliminated.”
It is not confirmed whether any of the sites with evidence of Legionnaires’ disease are linked to the current outbreak.
The outbreak is considered a “community outbreak” because it is not linked to any indoor exposure. The five-kilometre area where many of the cases have been confirmed is located in south-east London, but the exact location has not been identified.
“Given the way Legionella is transmitted and the geographic spread, providing a specific source would not help people understand their personal risk or take steps to reduce it,” Kearon said. “The bacteria are not transmitted from person to person, through water or through food by eating contaminated food. A person becomes infected when they breathe in droplets that become airborne.”
The MLHU says further advice will be provided to Londoners in the future on how to clean and disinfect household items, such as shower heads, humidifiers and hot tubs, to avoid local exposure.
A further update on the outbreak will be provided on Monday afternoon.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
