The Middlesex-London Health Unit has an update on the Legionnaires’ Disease outbreak after the long weekend. Since the last update on August 2nd, two more cases have been confirmed, bringing the total to 24. Currently, 4 people are in the hospital, and there have been no new deaths.
The Environmental Health Team is working with Public Health Ontario to find the source of the Legionella bacteria. They have taken 10 samples from areas where most cases live or work. So far, Legionella has been found in three cooling towers in the tested area. Samples from these sites are being analyzed, which will take about 10 days to determine if they are connected to the outbreak.
The Health Unit thanks local businesses for their cooperation and for quickly addressing the presence of Legionella bacteria. Legionnaires’ Disease is a serious respiratory illness caused by Legionella bacteria, often found in water systems. It is not spread from person to person or through food.
Business owners and property managers are advised to regularly maintain and sanitize cooling equipment to help prevent future outbreaks. The next update will be provided on the afternoon of Monday, August 12th.
Written by: K. Milhomens