24 January 2005

Board investigating three cases of Legionnaires’ Disease

The Eastern Health Board has started investigations to try and find out how three people living its area have developed Legionnaires’ Disease.

The three people live in the North Down and Ards area and have all developed their illness since the end of December.

Dr Philip Donaghy, consultant in communicable disease control, is leading the Board’s investigations which are being carried out in partnership with other health and environmental protection agencies.

Dr Donaghy said two of the three patients involved had been seriously ill, but are now showing signs of recovery from their illness. All three patients remain in hospital at present.

“We are actively working with our partner agencies to try and establish a source of the infection,” Dr Donaghy said. “However, we must be cautious at this early stage of the work, because it is not always possible to identify a clear source for an infection of this nature.”

Dr Donaghy said the Board would provide further information on any progress with its investigations in due course.

Legionnaires’ Disease is a form of pneumonia that can result in serious illness, particularly in adults and older people. However the disease cannot be spread from person to person.

Previous outbreaks in many parts of the world have shown to be in association with mists or airborne water droplets having been spread by air conditioning or water-cooling systems.

Symptoms of Legionnaires’ Disease can include headache, chill, cough and a rapid onset of high fever.

(MB/SP)