Legionnaires' disease: 2 more cases at Alderney Manor in Dartmouth

A fourth and fifthcase of legionnaires' disease at theAlderney Manor apartment building in Dartmouth havebeen confirmed.

The first case of legionnaires' disease was announced nearly two weeks ago on Sept. 2 and the number of cases has grown since then.

A severe form of pneumonia, legionnaires' is contracted after a person breathes mists that come from a water source contaminated with the Legionella bacteria.

Antibiotics are used to treat Legionnella, which can be found in the soil and can make its way through air conditioningunits, showersand whirlpools.

Symptoms of legionnaires' diseaseinclude fever, chills, dry cough, muscle aches, headache, loss of appetite, diarrhea and pneumonia.

To deal with the outbreak, the hot water system at the apartment building was being treated last Friday with a "copper-silver ion unit" to kill bacteria. The building's cold-water system was to be treated this week by flushing it with chlorine.