1 dead, 6 hospitalized amid legionnaires' outbreak, health unit says

One person is dead and six others are in hospital due to a legionnaires' outbreak, the Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) said in a news release on Friday.

Twenty-two cases are attached to the outbreak, and most were found within a five kilometre radius of one another in southeast London. All identified cases have been hospitalized at some point over the course of their illness, the health unit said

MLHUdeclared a legionnaires' disease outbreak in London on July 26.It said it first learned it was circulatingwhen employees at a workplace got sick on July 24. The health unit won't disclose the location of the workplace, but says the disease has now spread to a neighbourhood.

Dr. Joanne Kearon, MLHU's associate medical officer of health told CBC's London Morning on Thursday that most people exposed to the legionella bacteria won't get sick.

On the same day,officials reported that 10 people were hospitalized with the disease.

MLHU is working with Public Health Ontario to investigatethe source of the respiratory illness, which causeshigh fever, chills,a dry cough, shortness of breath and can lead to pneumonia. Its symptoms usually present within two to 10 days after encountering the bacteria, MLHU said.

"We are currently sampling cooling towers and units that are in the area that we suspect the source is," Kearonsaid.

"These investigations with legionella are difficult, they are complicated. They tend to last some time because we may actually find sources of legionella that aren't related to this outbreak."

WATCH | Dr. Joanne Kearon tells CBC about a legionnaires'outbreak in London:

A Legionnaires' disease outbreak in London

25 days ago

Duration 2:30

Ten people have been hospitalized following an outbreak of the respiratory illness Legionnaires' disease in London this week. Dr. Joanne Kearon, the associate medical officer of health for the Middlesex-London Health Unit, joined London Morning to talk about the situation.

The bacteria is usually found in water environments like hot tubs, cooling towers, large plumbing systems or parts of an air-conditioning system. If it's misted into the air through wind or fans, people can breathe it and become unwell.

The disease is not transmitted from people, or through contaminated foods or public waterworks. It can take weeks to identify the source and confirm it as the outbreak's cause, MLHU said, adding that sometimes the source is never definitively found but the outbreak ends naturally.

MLHU is warning business owners and property managers to ensure all cooling equipment is regularly maintained and sanitized to reduce risk of further legionella outbreaks.

London Morning6:49Legionnaires disease outbreak in London

With a handful of cases of Legionnaires disease in the city, London Morning spoke with Middlesex-London Health Unit Associate Medical Officer of Health Dr. Joanne Kearon for more information about the illness and how it spreads.