Are you a Health Professional? Jump over to the doctors only platform. Click Here

Legionnaires’ disease health warning

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

NSW Health is calling for business owners and occupiers to ensure cooling towers are maintained and treated after a steady rise in the number of Legionnaires’ disease cases reported over the past two months, with 24 Legionella pneumophila cases in March and April compared to 8 cases in the same period last year.

NSW Health Director of Health Protection Dr Jeremy McAnulty said that Legionnaires’ disease is an infection of the lungs (pneumonia) caused by breathing in Legionella bacteria.

The type of Legionnaires’ disease found recently is caused by bacteria which are present in low levels in the environment, but which can grow rapidly to dangerous levels in cooling towers and in warm water systems.

Dr McAnulty said that while public health investigations have not identified a common environmental source for these cases, the best way to prevent this type of Legionnaires’ disease is for businesses with cooling towers to ensure they are not contaminated.

“Business owners and occupiers are required to have their cooling towers appropriately maintained and treated, and to get them registered with their local council, if they have not done so already,” said Dr McAnulty.

The proper installation, maintenance and cleaning of water-cooling and warm water systems is a legal requirement under the Public Health Act 1991 and Public Health (Microbial Control) Regulation 2000.

“While NSW normally sees a small rise in Legionnaires’ disease cases in autumn, the rise had been much higher this year,” Dr McAnulty said.


Legionnaires’ disease is a notifiable illness in NSW, which means that hospitals and laboratories are required by law to report any suspected cases as a matter of course.

(Source: New South Wales Government Department of Health)


Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Dates

Posted On: 17 May, 2011
Modified On: 15 January, 2014


Created by: myVMC