Legionella E-news -- 16 November 2005
Legionella E-news, 16
November 2005
HC Information Resources Inc.
Matthew R. Freije, Editor
It was a great pleasure to meet many of you at the conference in
Chicago. I look forward to seeing you at the next one, if not sooner.--MRF
**IN THIS ISSUE**
1. Deadly Outbreak at Toronto Nursing Home
2. Four Cases at Nursing Home in Pennsylvania
3. Nineteen Cases and Two Deaths in Barcelona
4. Ornamental fountain Implicated in Rapid City Outbreak
5. Potting Mix Causes Four Cases and One Death in New Zealand
6. Five Cases in Victoria
7. Ontario Ministry of Labour Issues Bulletin
8. Legionella Training Course April 27th in Chicago
9. New Management Plans for Hospitals, Hotels, and Nursing Homes
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1. DEADLY OUTBREAK AT TORONTO NURSING HOME
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Twenty-one elderly people have died as a result of a Legionnaires'
outbreak associated with a nursing home in Toronto. In all, 127 cases
have been identified, including 67 residents, 30 staff, and 26 visitors
of the nursing home, and four people who live or work near it.
Investigators believe that the nursing home's cooling tower, which is
located near an air intake, was the source of contamination. A
$600-million class action lawsuit has been initiated, claiming the
defendants were negligent in the sampling, testing, diagnoses, and
evaluation of Legionella, and are liable for damages caused by the
design, installation, and maintenance of the cooling tower.
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2. FOUR CASES AT NURSING HOME IN PENNSYLVANIA
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Three elderly residents and a volunteer at a nursing home in
Harleysville, Pennsylvania, were diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease in
late October and early November. The three residents, all women, have
recovered. The nursing home’s potable water system was disinfected.
Source: Associated Press
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3. NINETEEN CASES AND TWO DEATHS IN BARCELONA
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Nineteen cases of Legionnaires' disease occurred in the Barcelona area
in October. Two of the cases have died, a 44-year-old man with
underlying disease, and an 81-year-old man who died three days after he
was hospitalized. As of late October, several cases were still
hospitalized but doing well.
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4. Ornamental fountain Implicated in Rapid City Outbreak
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An ornamental fountain in a restaurant waiting area has been implicated
in the Legionnaires' outbreak that occurred in Rapid City, South Dakota,
in late May to August this year. Health officials reported that the
Legionella strain found in the fountain matched the strain isolated from
people who became sick. Four new cases have been identified, all linked
to the fountain, bringing the total to 17. One of the cases has died and
two were still in the hospital as of late October. Source: Associated
Press
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5. POTTING MIX CAUSES FOUR CASES AND ONE DEATH IN NEW ZEALAND
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Four people in Christchurch, New Zealand contracted Legionnaires'
disease from potting mix and compost bags recently, including an elderly
man who has died. Health officials do not believe that these cases are
connected with the outbreak that occurred in Christchurch earlier this
year.
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6. FIVE CASES IN VICTORIA
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Five cases of Legionnaires' disease have been reported in Melbourne in
the last two weeks. A common source of contamination has not been
identified. All five cases are men, two aged 62, and the others 49, 64,
and 72. As of early November, three were still in the hospital and two
had been discharged. Sources: The Age; Herald Sun
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7. ONTARIO MINISTRY OF LABOUR ISSUES BULLETIN
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In light of the Toronto outbreak, the Ontario Ministry of Labour issued
a bulletin on 18 October that puts employers on notice of their duty
protect workers from hazards such as Legionella. “It is the
responsibility of employers to be knowledgeable about the hazards caused
by Legionella bacteria and to put in place necessary precautions to
protect workers.” The bulletin is posted at http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/ib_legionella.html.
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8. LEGIONELLA TRAINING COURSE APRIL 27th IN CHICAGO
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Matt Freije will teach the training course “Legionella and Other
Waterborne Pathogens: Minimizing Risk in Building Water Systems” on
Thursday, April 27th, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. The course will
cover how to minimize the risk of Legionella and other waterborne
pathogens in hospitals, hotels, and office buildings. Many of the
principles apply to industrial facilities also. The course is for
facility managers, safety officers, infection control coordinators,
industrial hygienists, public health officials, plumbing inspectors,
plumbing code officials, and those that offer services related to water
treatment, plumbing systems, cooling towers, indoor air quality,
industrial hygiene, or infection control. The tuition of $445 is
discounted to $395 for early registration. Details are posted at http://hcinfo.com/seminar3.htm.
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9. NEW MANAGEMENT PLANS FOR HOSPITALS, HOTELS, AND NURSING HOMES
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HC Information Resources released three new Legionella publications in
September:
Legionella Management Plan for Hospitals, http://hcinfo.com/318info.htm
Legionella Management Plan for Nursing Homes and Senior Living
Facilities, http://hcinfo.com/319info.htm
Legionella Management Plan for Hotels, http://hcinfo.com/320info.htm
The publications outline an overall risk reduction strategy and the
latest recommended preventive measures in a format that reads like an
in-house policy manual. Each of the management plans is available in
paper (softcover) or on a CD for US$149 plus shipping, or can be
downloaded at www.hcinfo.com for $119.
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THANK YOU!
Matt Freije
mf@hcinfo.com
--
HC Information Resources Inc.
Tel: 760-494-3063
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