Deadly Legionnaires' Outbreak Hits South of Scotland's Capital

Deadly Legionnaires' Outbreak Hits Scotland
Sky News – 1 hour 29 minutes ago

Health authorities are urgently trying to find the source of a Legionnaires' disease outbreak that has left one man dead and 15 other people critically ill in hospital in Scotland.

The health board of NHS Lothian said the patient who died at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh was in his 50s and had been suffering from underlying health problems.
Another 13 men and two women aged between 33 and 74 remain in a critical condition in hospitals in the Lothian area. One man has been discharged after recovering. A further 10 men and five women are also being treated in hospital - but their illnesses have yet to be confirmed.

The majority of the confirmed cases are linked geographically to the Dalry, Gorgie and Saughton areas in the south west of the Scottish capital.

Nicola Sturgeon, the Health Secretary in Scotland, is set to chair a meeting of the Scottish government's resilience committee - and she will be updated on the situation and on efforts to identify the source.

Dr Duncan McCormick, consultant in public health medicine and chairman of the incident management team at NHS Lothian, said: "I would like to express my sincere condolences to the family of the patient that died.

"Investigations into the possible source of this outbreak are ongoing. Meanwhile, medical staff have been actively identifying possible cases to allow us to ascertain the full extent of this outbreak."

The health board has said Legionella bacteria is commonly found in sources of water, such as rivers and lakes. The bacteria can end up in artificial water supply systems, including air conditioning systems, water services and cooling towers.

An investigation by officials from the City of Edinburgh Council's Environmental Health Department and the Health and Safety Executive is under way. Samples have been taken from cooling towers in the south west of the city, though it may be up to 10 days before results are available as Legionella is a difficult bacteria to culture.
Those responsible for maintenance at the cooling towers have been advised to carry out additional chemical treatment to the water in the cooling systems as a precautionary measure.

The health board said other possible sources were not being ruled out. Dr McCormick added: "I would like to reassure the public that household water supplies are safe and that Legionnaires' disease cannot be contracted by drinking water." But he warned: "Older people, particularly men, heavy smokers and those with other health conditions, are at greater risk of contracting the disease. I would urge anyone who develops symptoms of Legionnaires' disease to contact NHS 24 or their GP."

Legionnaires' disease is contracted by breathing in small droplets of contaminated water. Symptoms include mild headaches, muscle pain, fever, a persistent cough and sometimes vomiting and diarrhoea, and can begin any time between two and 14 days after exposure to the bacteria. The first case was identified on May 28.