| |||||||
|
More than 100 people who visited a Sunderland health club could have caught the legionella bug, a Health Protection Agency report has concluded. However, many sufferers who attended the Springs Club had already recovered before reporting it, so getting an accurate total was impossible. The report found that a total of 115 people became ill in August 2006. Two were confirmed as Legionnaires' Disease and five as Pontiac Fever, a milder version of the illness.
In addition to these laboratory-confirmed cases, another 108 people were ill
with similar flu-like symptoms and were classed as probable cases.
As the cause of the outbreak had already been identified, and the appropriate public health action taken, it was not necessary to carry out laboratory tests on all the cases reported. Closed voluntarily The report blamed a fault with the water treatment system at the club, and praised the response of local environmental health chiefs for identifying the source of the outbreak so quickly. Dr Kirsty Foster, of the Health Protection Agency, said: "The outbreak was challenging for many reasons including the large number of people affected, the non-specific nature of their symptoms and the fact that most of the cases were reported by people after they had recovered. "However, due to swift action by the environmental health department, local health protection staff and the leisure club it was possible to identify the source of the infection quickly and prevent any more people being exposed to the infection." No new cases were reported after the spa pool was closed voluntarily by the club on 23 August. Sunderland Council is also due to publish a report into the outbreak.
|
|
