Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak - Update

Tuesday, 10 April 2012

Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak - Update

Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) is continuing to work with Auckland Council to encourage shock dosing of all cooling towers and industrial water cooling systems, in a region-wide effort to end the current outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease.

The number of confirmed cases remains unchanged since Good Friday at 12, including one death. Auckland Council are continuing their efforts to communicate with building managers and building owners on the need to shock-dose cooling towers - no matter how recently the systems may have been tested or dosed.

Auckland Council has also been working with a number of industry organisations to ensure cooling towers are treated. Further communications will go out today – directly to commercial and industrial businesses that use a cooling tower - on the need to treat Legionella bacteria in their systems.

Legionnaires’ disease cannot be passed from person to person and the current strain can only be contracted directly from inhaling water droplets from a contaminated source. The symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease can include pneumonia, which may be life threatening for vulnerable people, while for others there may be little or no effect from exposure. Although well known, it is one of the less common causes of pneumonia, and only three people per 100,000 people per year in Auckland contract the disease in a typical year.

Auckland Council asks that once a building’s system has been shock-dosed for Legionella that building owners or managers call 09 353 9358 to register the physical address of the treated building.

For more information on Legionella visit the ARPHS website on: www.arphs.govt.nz

ENDS

© Scoop Media