Catbird
Senior Moderator
"Legionnaires' cases linked to airport
Date
April 22, 2013 - 2:07PM
Four cases of potentially fatal Legionnaires' disease have been linked to Melbourne Airport according to the Victorian Department of Health.
Victoria's Chief Health Officer Dr Rosemary Lester has urged doctors to be alert to symptoms of the form of pneumonia after four people who had travelled through Melbourne's Tullamarine airport were diagnosed over the last month. The people had all travelled overseas or interstate and returned through Melbourne Airport.
In a memo to doctors, Dr Lester said the airport's cooling towers had been tested, however no evidence of the legionella bacteria that causes Legionnaires' Disease was found. She said all towers have been treated for the disease as a precaution.
Dr Lester urged doctors to look out for symptoms of the illness, which include fever, cough, shortness of breath, headache, confusion, vomiting and diarrhoea.
"Consider Legionnaires' disease in patients presenting with an influenza-like illness or pneumonia who have travelled through Melbourne Airport Tullamarine between 1 March 2013 and 12 April 2013," she said in the memo sent on Friday...".
xhttp://www.theage.com.au/victoria/legionnaires-cases-linked-to-airport-20130422-2i9sz.html
Date
April 22, 2013 - 2:07PM
Four cases of potentially fatal Legionnaires' disease have been linked to Melbourne Airport according to the Victorian Department of Health.
Victoria's Chief Health Officer Dr Rosemary Lester has urged doctors to be alert to symptoms of the form of pneumonia after four people who had travelled through Melbourne's Tullamarine airport were diagnosed over the last month. The people had all travelled overseas or interstate and returned through Melbourne Airport.
In a memo to doctors, Dr Lester said the airport's cooling towers had been tested, however no evidence of the legionella bacteria that causes Legionnaires' Disease was found. She said all towers have been treated for the disease as a precaution.
Dr Lester urged doctors to look out for symptoms of the illness, which include fever, cough, shortness of breath, headache, confusion, vomiting and diarrhoea.
"Consider Legionnaires' disease in patients presenting with an influenza-like illness or pneumonia who have travelled through Melbourne Airport Tullamarine between 1 March 2013 and 12 April 2013," she said in the memo sent on Friday...".
xhttp://www.theage.com.au/victoria/legionnaires-cases-linked-to-airport-20130422-2i9sz.html