Legionella E-news -- 27 March 2001

Legionella E-news, 27 March 2001

HC Information Resources Inc.

Matthew R. Freije, Editor

**IN THIS ISSUE**

1. Two Ford Motor Workers in Brook Park, Ohio, Die of Legionnaires'

2. Melbourne Outbreak Affects Five, Kills Two

3. Hotel-contracted LD Cases to be Publicized in Europe

4. Comments Requested on Draft of CDC Guide

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1. TWO FORD MOTOR WORKERS IN BROOK PARK, OHIO, DIE OF LEGIONNAIRES'

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Two workers at the Ford Motor plant in Brook Park, Ohio, have died of Legionnaires' disease, one on 9 March and the other on 16 March. Both were men, ages 53 and 61. Two additional cases were confirmed. The 2,500-employee casting plant was shut down from Wednesday 14 March through Monday 19 March while the (US) CDC conducted an investigation and disinfected mechanical systems. The source of contamination was not

pinpointed. Brook Park is located southwest of Cleveland. Ford shut down two sections of another plant on Saturday 24 March after finding Legionella bacteria in water systems. No cases of Legionnaires' disease were reported at that plant. Source: news media

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2. MELBOURNE OUTBREAK AFFECTS FIVE, KILLS TWO

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Melbourne's latest outbreak of Legionnaire's disease has claimed two lives. A 53-year-old man died on 15 March after becoming ill on 6 March. He owned the restaurant located on the ground floor of the 12-story building suspected as the source of contamination. Another man, 43 years of age, died on 5 March. He had visited the same area in February. Three other men, ages 36, 44, and 65, were infected but recovered after hospital treatment. Each had visited the area. High levels of legionellae were found in the building's cooling tower, although it was a different strain from that which infected the two dead men. Health officials ordered the disinfection of cooling towers in 20 buildings in the vicinity. Source: news.com.au

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3. HOTEL-CONTRACTED LD CASES TO BE PUBLICIZED IN EUROPE

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The European Working Group for Legionella Infections (EWGLI) estimates that 12,000 European tourists (ten times the number of reported cases) contracted Legionnaires' disease since 1995, of whom 10% (1200) are expected to have died. Most cases were linked to hotels in southern Europe. For economic and political reasons, the names of these hotels have not been made public. However, the Netherlands Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS), plans to publish on the Internet the names of all European hotels that have not succeeded in bringing Legionella outbreaks under control within four weeks. [Source: IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre and the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaboratiev Council (WSSCC), The Netherlands, www.irc.nl.]

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4. COMMENTS REQUESTED ON DRAFT OF CDC GUIDE

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Guideline for Environmental Infection Control in Healthcare Facilities, 2001, updates and replaces portions of the previously published (US) CDC Guideline for Handwashing and Hospital Environmental Control and the environmental infection control portions of the 1994 CDC Guideline for Prevention of Nosocomial Pneumonia. The document includes recommendations for addressing Legionnaires' disease. Comments on the draft guideline must be submitted in writing by 20 April, 2001. The document can be downloaded in PDF format at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/enviro/guide.htm

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THANK YOU!

Matt Freije

HC Information Resources Inc.

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