Wales: Legionnaires? disease outbreak

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Source: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/cardiff...1466-27223037/

Woman dies in killer bug outbreak

Sep 8 2010 by Simon Gaskell, South Wales Echo

A WOMAN has died of a suspected legionnaires? disease infection, with 11 other cases already confirmed.

Public Health Wales last night said it was investigating the outbreak ?around the Heads of the Valleys corridor?.

It added there had been 11 confirmed cases, while three other possible cases were being looked into ? including that of the dead 64-year-old...

...The Heads of the Valley corridor, which covers an area roughly equivalent to the route of the A465, cuts through a large swathe of South Wales from Monmouthshire across the heads of the traditional South Wales Valleys areas.

Health officials last night refused to reveal where any of the cases have come from.

Chris Lines, of Public Health Wales, said: ?All the cases we have found are within easy access of the Heads of the Valleys road.

?If we find any cases close together in time and geography we look to see if there are any links.

?There may be some source that everyone in that area has come into contact with.?

Public health expert Professor Hugh Pennington suggested the outbreak was most likely to have come from a cooling tower or air conditioning system...

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Re: Wales: Legionnaires? disease outbreak

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-11225645

8 September 2010 Last updated at 11:52 ET
Legionnaires' probe focus on south Wales industry sites

The cases cover seven different council areas across south Wales.

Health officials are focusing on industrial premises in their search for the cause of a Legionnaires' disease outbreak in south Wales.

A 64-year-old woman has died and is among two possible cases still being investigated, say health officials.

Twelve cases are now linked to the outbreak and all have required hospital treatment.

Inquiries continue into the source of the illness, which is clustered around the Heads of the Valleys corridor.

The focus is on industrial premises and large air conditioning systems...

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Re: Wales: Legionnaires? disease outbreak

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/he...-outbreak.html


Second death linked to South Wales Legionnaires' outbreak
The death of a second person has been linked to an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in Wales.


By Heidi Blake
Published: 3:39PM BST 09 Sep 2010

Health officials yesterday confirmed the death of a man, 70, on Wednesday following that of a woman, 64, on Monday.

There are now 14 cases linked to the outbreak, with a further three possible cases under investigation.

Factories along a busy road in the South Wales valleys were being investigated as the suspected source of the outbreak, thought to have originated from contaminated cooling towers or air conditioning units.

Officials are investigating whether motorists could have become infected after breathing in the deadly legionella spores while driving along the A465 Heads of the Valleys Road.

It is understood the two dead people had other underlying health problems before contracting Legionaires's disease.

Victims suffer flu-like symptoms, and information has been circulated to GPs advising them of the correct steps to take if a patient appears to have contracted the disease...

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Re: Wales: Legionnaires? disease outbreak

Source: http://www.newswales.co.uk/?section=Health&F=1&id=19711

South Wales outbreak of Legionnaires' disease update

10/9/2010

Public Health Wales, in collaboration with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Environmental Health Officers from seven South Wales local authorities, is continuing to investigate an outbreak of Legionnaires? disease clustered around the Heads of the Valleys corridor.

As of 5pm on 8 September 2010 14 cases had been identified as being linked to the outbreak and all required hospital treatment.

A further three possible cases are still under investigation.
Two possible cases have died ? a 70-year-old male who died in hospital on 8 September, and a 64-year-old female who died in hospital on 6 September...

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Re: Wales: Legionnaires? disease outbreak

Source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukp...3L77hgidKdhjpQ

Tower closed in Legionnaires' probe

(UKPA) ? 44 minutes ago

Health chiefs urgently closed a water cooling tower in an area where Legionnaires' disease is suspected of claiming two lives.

But the un-named company in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, has not been confirmed as the source of the outbreak, Public Health Wales (PHW) stressed.

The firm has already fully cleaned and disinfected the tower which has since been given the green light to restart work.

The action is part of an urgent investigation to find the source of the outbreak which has so far taken in the premises of more than 100 companies.

Experts also revealed that three extra cases of Legionnaires' disease have been identified - all within the Heads of the Valleys corridor where the outbreak is clustered. The new cases raise the number affected to 17, all of which have required hospital treatment...

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Re: Wales: Legionnaires? disease outbreak

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-11270996

11 September 2010 Last updated at 09:50 ET

Legionnaires' total in south Wales rises to 19 cases


Dr Meirion Evans, of Public Health Wales, said more cases were likely to emerge over the next week.

Two more cases of Legionnaires' disease have been identified as part of an outbreak in south Wales, which is linked to two deaths.

All 19 cases have required hospital treatment and some remain seriously ill.

Public health experts expect the number of cases to rise over the next week and haven't ruled out further deaths.

Safety officials have checked all registered cooling towers in the area being investigated.

Giving its latest daily update on the outbreak Public Health Wales (PHW) said there were four cases of Legionnaires' disease possibly linked to the outbreak...

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Re: Wales: Legionnaires? disease outbreak

South Wales Legionnaires' investigation continues


Investigations are continuing into the source of an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in south Wales which is linked to two deaths.

A second industrial cooling tower in the Heads of the Valleys area has been closed down for cleaning.

Health officials said the company in Rhymney valley shut it voluntarily, but it has not been confirmed as the source of the outbreak.

Safety officers have been checking cooling towers in the outbreak area.

A cooling tower in Merthyr was shut down last week but the company was able to restart work after cleaning and disinfecting it.

The site, at Dowlais, was not confirmed as the source of the outbreak.


...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-11280692

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Re: Wales: Legionnaires? disease outbreak

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...ngham-11289599

13 September 2010 Last updated at 13:51 ET

Legionnaires' disease confirmed in Birmingham

An investigation is under way after a case of Legionnaires' disease was confirmed in Birmingham.

Birmingham City Council said a staff member was identified as having the disease while on annual leave.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) and the council are focusing their investigation in the east of the city.

It is not known if there is any link with an outbreak of the disease in south Wales earlier this month in which two people have died.

Birmingham City Council is reassuring people the disease cannot be passed from person to person and they are working with the HPA and other bodies to any precautionary measure needed.

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Re: Wales: Legionnaires? disease outbreak

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-11302127

14 September 2010 Last updated at 10:41 ET
South Wales Legionnaires' death of woman, 49

Three people have now died in south Wales this month from Legionnaires' disease but only one death is linked to the current outbreak, say officials.

A 49-year-old woman died on Sunday evening, it was announced on Tuesday.

The deaths of a 70-year-old man and a woman, 64, from Pontypridd, last week are not now being linked to the outbreak.

Investigations are focused on a cluster of seven people linked to Rhymney in Caerphilly county.

There is another potential cluster of four people in the Cynon valley.

Another eight people have various links and connections across the outbreak area.

That makes a total of 19 people with Legionnaires' identified as being linked to the outbreak...

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Re: Wales: Legionnaires? disease outbreak

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-11308921

15 September 2010 Last updated at 03:42 ET
Officials defend time lapse in announcing Legionnaires'

Public Health Wales (PHW) has defended its decision to delay alerting the public to the Legionnaires' outbreak.

Doctors were told about the outbreak in the Heads of the Valleys area on 3 September but the authorities did not inform people until four days later.

A Merthyr GP is among those questioning the time lapse during which 11 cases were linked to the outbreak of the disease and a woman died.

PHW denies accusations of unnecessary delays and says it acted in good time...

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Re: Wales: Legionnaires? disease outbreak

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-11351081

17 September 2010 Last updated at 13:02 ET

Legionnaires' cases rise to 20 in south Wales valleys
Legionella bacteria Legionnaire's kills between between 10 - 15% of its victims

The 20th case of Legionnaire's disease has been confirmed in the Heads of the Valleys' outbreak, in south Wales.

Three people have died from the disease, but only one of the deaths was linked to the valleys' outbreak.

Bev Morgan, 49, from Rhymney, in Caerphilly county, died in hospital on Sunday in the outbreak in south Wales.

Public Health Wales is still waiting results of tests from three industrial sites in the area to find the source.

Investigations are focussing on a cluster of seven people linked to Rhymney.

A further potential cluster of four people in the Cynon Valley is being investigated. The other nine people have various links and connections across the outbreak area.

The 20th case is the first new case since 10 September...

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Re: Wales: Legionnaires? disease outbreak

Source: http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/new...ple_diagnosed/

LEGIONNAIRES' OUTBREAK: 21 people diagnosed

12:20pm Monday 20th September 2010

A TOTAL 21 people have now been diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease according to Public Health Wales.

Health bosses are still trying to find the source of the outbreak and continue to search a 40-mile stretch of the A465 between Abergavenny and Llandarcy and about seven miles north and south of the road.

All 21 cases have required hospital treatment and a further case of Legionnaires' possibly linked to the outbreak is under investigation...

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Re: Wales: Legionnaires? disease outbreak

Source: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/he...1466-27369489/

Disease outbreak may soon be over
Sep 30 2010 by Madeleine Brindley, Western Mail

WALES? largest outbreak of legionnaires? disease will be declared over on October 12.

Public health experts last night said there have been no new cases of the disease along the A465 Heads of the Valleys corridor for the past 19 days...


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