General News

Legionnaires disease claims one life but poses no threat to New Tecumseth

October 28, 2022   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) has reported that the Legionnaires disease outbreak in Orillia has claimed one life, however, there is no local threat.

As reported in the Times last week, the SMDHU was investigating a cluster of cases in Orillia. Nineteen cases were reported, and that case count is now up to 35. One person, in their 60s, died. All confirmed cases were among people aged 50 or over.

Legionnaires disease can cause severe respiratory problems and flu-like symptoms. It is most commonly transmitted by inhaling aerosolized water from a contaminated source. In most cases, the disease is treated with antibiotics. It doesn’t spread through person-to-person contact. The disease has a mortality rate of 10 per cent.

In Orillia, the SMDHU started investigating after cases of the disease started showing up in that region.

The Health Unit started shutting down cooling towers in the city and taking samples. Five towers have been treated and six are not operating at this time. Continued testing is expected to identify the problem tower.

Cooling towers are usually located on the top of buildings and draw excess heat from them, then warm air is released and cool air is recirculated back into the building.

The Legionella bacteria can rapidly grow in freshwater environments at temperatures between 20 and 45 degrees. Building HVAC systems, hot tubs, splash pads, and humidifiers can host the bacteria.

Orillia last had an outbreak of Legionnaires disease in 2019, when 10 people became ill and one death was reported.

While the SMDHU is investigating the outbreak, the problem is local to Orillia and the is no threat to New Tecumseth residents.

Most cases of the disease occur in the summer and early fall but can happen during any time of the year.

Readers Comments (0)