Girl dies in spa accident

New South Wales, Australia
 March 26, 2006

Royal Lifesaving Australia has called for mandatory cut-off switches on spa pumps after a young girl drowned on the NSW mid-north coast.
The 11-year-old drowned when she became trapped by the suction of the spa's floor pump at an apartment complex in Forster yesterday afternoon.

A friend of the girl raised the alarm and adults who were staying in the units tried in vain to free her, police said.

Ambulance officers tried to revive the girl at the scene, but she was pronounced dead on arrival at Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital.

The incident follows the near drowning of an eight-year-old girl in Sydney two weeks ago, after her hair was caught in a spa jet at a Mosman home.

In December, a two-year-old boy drowned after falling into a spa in Blackburn, Melbourne.

Royal Lifesaving Australia CEO Rob Bradley said yesterday's drowning highlighted the need for mandatory cut-off switches on spa pumps, which would activate when the suction became blocked.

"Royal Lifesaving has been pushing for mandatory switches on spas so that when suction reaches a certain point, because something is obviously blocking the suction, there is an automatic cut-off switch," he said.

Mr Bradley said the incident highlighted the need for adults to supervise children around water.

"Children have drowned in the bottom of a shower recess," he said.

"With young children you can't be complacent about any body of water.

"Parents need to be aware of where their children are at all times."

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New South Wales, Australia

Sunday March 26 2006

Calls for spa safety review after death
  
The NSW government will consider toughening spa safety standards after the drowning of a young girl on NSW's mid-north coast.

The 11-year-old girl from Forster drowned on Saturday when she became trapped by the suction of the spa's floor pump at an apartment complex in the seaside town.                 

Ambulance officers tried to revive the girl at the scene, but she was pronounced dead on arrival at Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital.

Fair Trading Minister Diane Beamer has asked her department to review the police investigation into the drowning to determine whether existing safety standards need to be improved.

"It would then be a matter of consulting with the other states and industry to see if there is a need to change, review and improve the standards," a spokesman for Ms Beamer said.

Royal Lifesaving Australia threw its weight behind any safety review, with chief executive officer Rob Bradley saying "we'd offer any assistance we could provide".

Mr Bradley also called for cut-off switches on spa pumps and mesh guards to become mandatory in Australia.

"Royal Lifesaving has been pushing for mandatory switches on spas so that when suction gets too strong, because something is obviously blocking the suction, there is an automatic cut-off switch," he said.

"There is also a guard that can be fitted over the suction point so that nothing can get sealed over it."

The Forster drowning comes just two weeks after the near drowning of an eight-year-old girl whose hair became caught in a spa suction point at a home in Mosman on Sydney's north shore.

And in December, a two-year-old boy drowned after falling into a spa in Blackburn, Melbourne.

Mr Bradley said the incidents highlighted the need for adults to supervise children around water.

"Children have drowned in the bottom of a shower recess," he said.

"With young children you can't be complacent about any body of water.

"Parents need to be aware of where their children are at all times."

Glenn Lynch, manager of Spa World at Seven Hills in Sydney, said most new spas were fitted with kill switches, and it was "impossible" to get caught in suction skimmers in newer model spas.

"It's the older models that are the problem," he said.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) helped develop standards to prevent hair entanglement and bodypart entrapment in spas, hot tubs, and whirlpools. These standards should help prevent deaths and injuries. Consumers should fix their old spas, hot tubs, and whirlpools with new, safer drain covers. CPSC warns about these hazards:

Legionnaires’ disease cases are confirmed by IDPH

Monday, March 13, 2006
 

IDPH and the Logan County Health Department recently learned of two confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease in out-of-state residents who both stayed at the motel. One person with Legionnaires’ disease stayed at the hotel in mid-January and the other in mid-February. Both people were hospitalized and on ventilators.On March 8, IDPH and the Logan County Health Department completed an investigation where staff established there was no chlorine residual in either pool. An independent laboratory reported that water samples collected from the pools tested positive for Legionella species. Additional environmental samples are being analyzed with further results pending.

“Guests who stayed at the hotel are from all over the country. It’s important to get this information out to those guests so they can be properly treated, said Dr. Eric E. Whitaker, IDPH Director. “Legionnaires' disease can be a mild respiratory illness or it can be very serious and can cause death in up to 30 percent of cases. Most cases can be treated successfully with antibiotics, and healthy people usually recover from infection.”

The most common symptoms of Legionellosis are fever, chills and a cough. Some patients also have muscle aches, headaches, tiredness, loss of appetite and, occasionally, diarrhea. Persons with the most severe type of this infection are likely to be hospitalized with pneumonia.

Most people contract the disease by inhaling mist or aerosol from a water source contaminated with the bacteria. In some cases, the disease may be transmitted by other ways, such as aspirating contaminated water. All studies to date have shown that person-to-person spread does not occur. If you have reason to believe you were exposed to the bacteria, talk to your doctor or local health department.

Both Best Western Inn and Comfort Inn have provided hotel guest and phone information to IDPH and the Logan County Health Department. The IDPH Health Alert Network has sent a message to more than 800 phone numbers for hotel guests, nationwide, informing them of possible exposure and encouraging them to see their health care provider. To date, more than 200 people have called the phone bank and approximately 30 have said they have experienced symptoms.

Pool disease linked to woman's death

90-year-old was near contaminated pool

The woman was not swimming in the pool or spa. But people who are around a pool can get the disease by just breathing in mist or water vapor that is contaminated.

3 die, 150 sickened by Legionnaires' disease

LINCOLN, Ill., March 22 nd.

The hotel's owner could not be reached for comment, the report said.

Spain

8^th March 2006

 Health closes the bath of Orduña after detecting four cases of legionellosis

 The technicians disinfect the facilities to the delay of which to confirm the center of the outbreak the Department of Health of the Basque Government has suspended cautelarmente the activity of the bath hotel of Orduña, in as much investigates the origin of four cases of legionellosis whose affected they passed recently by the lodging. The patients, three men and one woman of ages between 36 and 55 years, progress favorably but they follow entered in plant in two vizcaínos hospitals. \

More than 60 people who attended a basketball tournament for home schooled students last week have become sick, some with Pontiac fever that may have been spread by a hotel pool or hot tub, state health officials said.

Pontiac fever is an upper respiratory infection caused by the bacterium Legionella pneumophila, which also causes the more severe Legionnaire's disease.

The state Health Department has confirmed 13 cases of Pontiac fever among 52 persons reporting illness from a Houston team and 10 from a team traveling from Indiana and Michigan.

All stayed at the Comfort Suites at Interstate 40 and Meridian Avenue. The manager of the hotel did not return phone calls seeking comment.

Because the bacteria causing the illness is spread by inhaling infected water, the Health Department is investigating the hotel's indoor pool, hot tub and an adjacent dehumidifier. The indoor pool area was closed Saturday.

The students were in Oklahoma City last week for the National Christian Home school Basketball Championship.

Two people were hospitalized in Oklahoma City over the weekend and have been released.

While antibiotics are used to fight Legionnaire's disease, the milder Pontiac fever usually clears up within several days and is treated symptomatically.

Cayla Morrow, 14, of Houston said her father was hospitalized Sunday and the rest of the family has been treated with antibiotics.

She said the team had meetings in the hotel's pool room, but not everyone swam or used the hot tub.

"We knew there was something up," Morrow said. "There were so many sick people in our program."

Dr. Paul Dungan, director of the Oklahoma City-County Health Department, said the hotel reported pool chemicals may have been imbalanced.

Officials said they have no evidence the hotel was negligent, and prior inspections showed no problems.

The illness is not passed from person to person. Oklahoma typically has seven to 10 cases of Legionella a year, officials said.

Visitors test positive for bacteria following hotel stay

Tuesday, March 23, 2004

20 May 2003

Spanish Spa

Five people were affected by a outbreak of legionella detected in the municipality centre of Adeje, although two of them were registered, whereas the other two were entered in the University Hospital the Candlemas. 

One of these affected was entered in the Unit of Intensive Cares of the hospitable center, although according to sanitary sources its state improves progressively. 

The service of Epidemiología of the Canary Service of the Health of the Council of Health received yesterday the notification of four cases of affected by the outbreak of legionella that was detected the week last in the municipality centre of Adeje.

Causal nexus

Sources of the Council of Health indicated yesterday that the four cases have a causal and temporary nexus to be related to the premises in which thinks that it is the infection center, and that has been closed of form to prevent until the origin of the outbreak of legionella is determined.

Technicians of the Service of Epidemiología consider that he is "a small and limited" outbreak, that was detected Thursday the past, when in this department the notification of a case was received that was united to other two appeared in previous weeks.

The inspected premises

After verifying a possible causal nexus between the affected ones, the technicians of Public Health made an environmental inspection of the premises in which deficiencies were detected, reason why it was come to the suspension to prevent of his activities until the origin of the outbreak is determined.

Sources of the Council of Health indicated that it has been come to the drained one from all the facilities and to a disinfection of shock, and within fifteen days another new inspection will be made to verify that the outbreak of legionella has been eradicated definitively.

In addition, the laboratory of Public Health of the canary Government will analyse the samples obtained with the purpose of determining the bacteria cause of the outbreak, thus to cut the transmission

Man caught Legionnaires' from hot tub

30 Apr 2003 
             
A man who died from Legionnaires' disease caught the bug while viewing a house that was for sale, it emerged today.

Robert Brophy leaned over to feel the temperature of water in a hot tub and contracted the bug, Irish health officials confirm

His daughter Geraldine said he spent hours waiting on a trolley before being treated and was sent to three different hospitals.
She said doctors took a week to diagnose her father, who is one of two people to have died from the disease in the past two weeks.

He had gone to look at a house for me and it had a hot tub in an area outside the house on a deck, Geraldine told Irish radio.

He bent down to feel the water which was quite hot and bubbly and - we only found this out subsequently - he inhaled the vapour.

Of course the Legionnaires' bacteria legionella is carried on water droplets in the air, so just from that secondary kind of inhalation of the pool, that's how he actually contracted it."
She described the manner in which her father was treated by the health service as "traumatic".
The doctor gave him antibiotics and then on Friday he seemed to get better but on Saturday he deteriorated a lot, she said.

Mr Brophy was then sent to Dublin's Tallaght Hospital, his doctor having advised he should be sent straight to a ward.

Unfortunately he ended up waiting on a chair in casualty from four o'clock in the afternoon until 12 and then on a trolley in casualty until seven o'clock the next evening," his daughter said.       
"So that was actually quite a traumatic experience for him."

On the Sunday evening Mr Brophy was diagnosed with pneumonia and given antibiotics but the following Tuesday his condition deteriorated again.

He was transferred to Blanchardstown Hospital but doctors told his relatives they did not know what was wrong with him.
"They were treating him in the blind," his daughter said. "That came as a total shock to us."

The next day a microbiologist diagnosed Mr Brophy as having Legionnaires' Disease and he later was moved to Beaumont Hospital.

 He died of multi-organ failure on April 17.

A spokeswoman for the Eastern Regional Health Authority confirmed that Mr Brophy had caught the disease while viewing a house.

"Once the source was discovered we contacted the estate agent and all other people who had visited the house," she said.

She said all correct procedures were adhered to and that this was a single isolated case.

Source Media

Shopper killed by bug from hot tub

15 February 2002

A man who inhaled spray from an outdoor hot tub during a shopping trip to a garden centre died within days from Legionnaires' disease, an inquest heard yesterday.

Roger Russell, 61, was invited by a salesman to dip his hand into the spa as it was switched to full power and jets blasted him with a mist containing the lethal bug.

Mr Russell, a father of four, fell ill two days later but it was not until he was taken to hospital after 17 days that doctors diagnosed the condition. He died from multiple organ failure as a result of the disease, caused by the legionella bacterium.

Environmental health officers were alerted and after talking to his wife, Wendy, 59, they investigated the £5,000 spa he was shown at Merlin Timber Products at Longacres Nursery in Bagshot, Surrey. Samples they took showed that the bacteria was still in the water more than three weeks after Mr Russell, a psychiatric nurse, had visited.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, the Surrey coroner, Michael Burgess, said legislation on spa baths "falls short of what one might expect", and said he would write to the Department of Trade.

10th April 2003

A second woman has died of Legionnaires' disease after an outbreak at a holiday complex, health officials said today.

A 66-year-old woman, who was being treated after being admitted to hospital in March, died on Tuesday.

A woman from Hertfordshire died in February. Both women had been guests at the Cricket St Thomas Hotel and Leisure Centre, near Chard in Somerset.

To date, nineteen people have been diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease and many more affected by the outbreak.

It is believed the spa bath was the source of the disease.

Dr Elaine Farmery, public health consultant with the Somerset Health Protection Unit, said: "We would like to express our sincere condolences to the relatives of this lady, who wish to remain unidentified at this sad time.

"We are satisfied that appropriate precautions have been taken and the potential risk to the health of anyone coming to the leisure centre or hotel is no greater than anywhere else in the country.

"Circumstantial evidence, based on information from those affected and laboratory testing, supports our belief that the spa bath was the probable source of this outbreak."

Cricket St Thomas Hotel and Leisure Centre re-opened on March 31, after health and local authority officials were satisfied that remedial work has been satisfactorily carried out.

5th December 2002

Spa bath warning after Legionnaires death

A CORONER has warned that the deadly Legionella bug could be lurking in health spa whirlpool baths.

The risk was highlighted at an inquest on retired civil engineer, Archibald Murchie, who was infected by the highly virulent organism on holiday in Devon.

Seventy-year-old Mr Murchie, of Grappenhall, Warrington, who was described as 'fit as a fiddle', was struck down by Legionnaires' disease after sharing whirlpool baths with his family during a week's stay in Exmouth.

Cheshire Coroner, Nicholas Rheinhold, told the Warrington inquest that Mr Murchie was one of two known residents at the Devoncourt Hotel to be infected with the Legionella bug. Mr Marchie died a week after returning home and the other victim survived.

On the balance of probability the hotel's whirlpool bath could also be blamed for three cases of Legionella there in 1999, with a possible two further unconfirmed incidents, he added.

Three cases of légionellose, respiratory infection of bacterial origin, were detected these last days in the hydropathic establishment of Jonzac (Charente-Maritime), one learned near the prefecture.

The prefect of Charente-Maritime took a decree pronouncing the temporary closing of the thermal baths in waiting of the epidemiologic and environmental surveys carried out in collaboration with the departmental Management of the medical and social action (DDASS) and the national Institute of medical day before.

All the people having attended the establishment in the last weeks will be informed of the situation.

The légionellose is a respiratory infection caused by a bacterium of the Légionella kind which generally appears by a feverish pneumonia. Its diagnosis rests on clinical and biological signs specific.

The disease is not transmitted person to person but it can appear mortal in cases of late diagnosis on fragile people

November 21,2002
d November 202
Freeport hotel illness traced
Health officials find Pontiac fever bacteria in the spa filter.

ROCKFORD

Dozens of public health officials across the United States and Canada joined Illinois officials in helping unravel a suspected outbreak of Pontiac fever, a relative of Legionnaire’s disease, in a Freeport hotel in August.

The investigation, which concluded Wednesday, uncovered the first apparent cluster of the illness that medical professionals have seen in the state.

The outbreak was traced to the sand filter in the whirlpool spa at Country Inns & Suites, 1710 Dirck Drive, Freeport. Eleven hotel guests, including a pregnant woman and five children ages 4 to 12, are plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the owners of the inn. Results of the investigation were released at a press conference.

In all, 67 people suffered the high fever, headache and muscle-ache symptoms related to Pontiac fever. The hotel was booked solid the weekend of Aug. 9-11, with close to 380 guests from 23 states, Canada and Belgium. About half the visitors were from Illinois.

Those who became sick probably inhaled steam from the spa carrying the L. micdadei bacteria, officials said. No hotel employees became ill.

Illinois does not regulate commercial spas. A revision to the state's swimming pool law, going into effect Jan. 1, will require a health department permit for every new spa built. Starting May 1, all spas that are open to the public will have to be licensed.

Even if the 2003 regulations had been in effect, the Freeport hotel spa would have been in compliance, said Jeffrey Todd, public health administrator for the Stephenson County Health Department.

"There were no regulatory infractions as far as the hotel is concerned," said Todd. "The management of the hotel could not have been more cooperative, either."

The hotel's Freeport-based management "will release a statement," said co-owner Dave Swift, "once we have had an opportunity to review the findings of the investigation."

When calls from sick families began flooding Todd's office on Aug. 12, Pontiac fever didn't cross his mind.
Bioterrorism did.

"That's the first thing I think of now," he said.

Todd called in the state health department's "Rapid Response Team," which launched an epidemiological investigation. That included asking health departments across North America to track down people who visited the hotel in mid-August.

More than 200 hotel guests provided information that led officials to suspect the illness came from the swimming-pool area. Three species of Legionella organism were found in the whirlpool's backwash, prompting investigators to believe the problem was inside the spa's sand filter.

"We don't know how it got there," said Dr. Gregory Huhn, a CDC epidemic intelligence service officer who led the investigation.

The bacteria is naturally found throughout the environment, explained Roger Rudin, chief environmental engineer in the state health department's Rockford regional office.

"It's such a common organism. It's found commonly in water and in moist soil. It becomes a problem when it gets into an area and just grows." Spas provide a moist, warm environment for the bacteria, and plenty of steam to carry it into the air.

There's no conclusive test for Pontiac fever. However, three of the blood tests conducted on 18 hotel guests showed higher-than-normal levels of antibodies that indicate the presence of the bacteria.

"This is our best guess at what happened," said Tom Schafer, a spokesman for IDPH. "It all seems to fit."

Sue and Ken Gibler's Durand-based family decided to do something special this year before the kids went back to school: Splurge on a weekend at a nearby hotel.

But just hours after the swimming, relaxation and fun were over, 10 of the 11-member clan registered fevers up to 104 degrees. The young children quickly bounced back, but the affected adults still are experiencing shortness of breath and fatigue, Ken Gibler said.

He has "no idea" how much the family has spent on doctor's visits. "It's been a lot of missed time from work."

One daughter, five months pregnant when she came down with Pontiac fever, is being closely monitored by her physician.

The Giblers are among 11 plaintiffs in a civil lawsuit filed last month in federal court, said their attorney, Robert H. Clark.

"Sixty-seven people had symp-toms," said Clark. "We intend to follow up with them to see if there are diagnoses other than Pontiac fever."

TOKYO:

An elderly man on Wednesday became the sixth person to die in an outbreak of Legionnaires disease at a hotspring spa in southwestern Japan, an official said. "When the patient became ill, he had a high fever and cough. He became seriously ill and died of pneumonia," said Kazuhiro Sakada, a health official with the prefectural government in Miyazaki. The man in his 60s was the fourth to have died among 22 patients confirmed to have contracted Legionnaires' disease. Two other deaths were among 224 people suspected of having contracted the disease. All the those who died were over 60. Three people confirmed with the disease remain in a serious condition, while the others diagnosed have begun to recover, Sakada said. Legionella bacteria about 150,000 times over safe levels were discovered at the publicly-run hotspring in Hyuga, Miyazaki, on July 25 after the first patient was diagnosed with the disease.

*****************

Aug. 20, 2002
Four more people confirmed to have Legionnaires' disease

MIYAZAKI (Kyodo) Four more people have been confirmed to be infected with Legionella bacteria, apparently victims of a mass outbreak of the disease at a hot spring in Hyuga, Miyazaki Prefecture, prefectural government officials said Monday.

The finding brought the number of those confirmed to be infected with the bacteria to 26, four of whom have died.

The four people confirmed infected Monday comprise a man in his 20s, one in his 40s, one in his 50s and a woman in her 70s. They are all from Miyazaki Prefecture.

In addition, four more people are suspected of being infected with the bacteria, bringing the number of suspected cases to 252. Two of those with suspected infections have died.

Legionella bacteria causes pneumonia or fever, mostly in children and the elderly.

The disease has been reported among bathers at Hyuga Sun-Park Onsen, which is licensed to operate under the Public Bath House Law. It opened to the general public July 1 and halted operations July 24 following reports of the disease.

About 20,000 people used the facility during that period.

Miyazaki Prefectural Police have searched the spa and the Hyuga city office on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in deaths and bodily injuries.

The city of Hyuga owns a 92 percent interest in the spa, and the remainder is owned by local agricultural and fisheries cooperatives and two other organizations.

*****************

Aug. 29, 2002
Legionella bacteria strike once more

KUMAMOTO (Kyodo) Massive amounts of Legionella bacteria have been discovered in a hot spring facility in Kumamoto Prefecture that tested for bacteria once in the seven years after it opened in 1995 -- and then failed to report the bacteria's presence -- sources said Wednesday.

The name of the facility, however, was not provided.

The recent investigation by the prefectural government found Legionella bacteria some 910 times above permitted levels in the water at the facility, which is in Yashiro-gun.

The investigation was conducted following an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in Miyazaki Prefecture in which six bathers at Hyuga Sun-Park Onsen, a hot spring facility in the city of Hyuga, died.

The head of the Kumamoto facility admitted it failed to conduct inspections and vowed to carry out regular checks in the future.

According to the sources, the facility conducted a water quality inspection when it opened in 1995, but did not conduct another test until last January.

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry is requesting that such facilities and public baths nationwide conduct the tests once a year.

According to the sources, the facility failed to report the January test results to prefectural police, only increasing the amount of antiseptic substances it put in the water.

The facility attracts an average of 10,000 visitors per month, the sources said.

Man died after spa bath test at garden centre

 15/02/2002

A VISIT to a garden centre and a casual inquiry about a spa bath cost a 61-year-old man his life when he contracted legionnaires' disease after a salesman's demonstration, an inquest was told.

Roger Russell and his wife, Wendy, 59, had intended only to collect a brochure but the salesman invited them to see a bath in operation. As he switched on the taps, jets of air surfaced through the water and sprayed Mr Russell with a fine mist.

Two days later the father of four complained of flu-like symptoms. His health rapidly deteriorated and eventually doctors diagnosed legionnaires' disease.
Mr Russell, a psychiatric nurse from Crowthone, Berks, died of multiple organ failure 17 days after falling ill.

His family said yesterday that it planned to take legal action after hearing a coroner express his concern that sales staff had no knowledge of safety checks or the risks of infection from untreated bacteria.

Environmental health officials are investigating the incident. It was some time after Mr Russell fell ill before his wife connected his condition to the visit to the Merlin Timber Products salesroom at the Longacres Nursery, Bagshot, Surrey, last June.

Samples were then taken from the spa bath which showed the legionella bacteria still present in the water, more than three weeks later.

Marc Russell, 38, the dead man's son, told an inquest at Woking, Surrey, yesterday that his parents had gone to the garden centre to collect brochures and a price list.

"The salesman encouraged them into the low-roofed small chalet housing the spa. He demonstrated its most impressive feature, the therapeutic effect caused by the water turbulence resulting from the high-powered air pumps, blowers and jets.

"He asked Dad to put his hand into the water and turned the spa on to full power. Immediately the air was forced through the pipes producing a spray above the water. As Dad was bending over the spa as directed by the salesman he no doubt got a lung full of this mist."

Several days later his father was sent home from work. "He stayed in the house and just shivered, unable to eat or drink. The doctor saw him and said it was gastro-enteritis."

His condition worsened and when the doctor returned the next day Mr Russell had a temperature of 104F and was diagnosed with bronchitis.

His son said: "In the middle of the night he became delirious and tried to cool himself in a cold bath but collapsed and fell in. He was taken to Frimley Park Hospital."

Legionnaires' disease was diagnosed the following day and he died two days later.

The inquest was told that staff at Merlins did not have experience in using the spa baths. Derrick Gould, a senior environmental health officer with Surrey Heath council, said an ozoneator, an ultraviolet light designed to kill bacteria, was not working properly.

Michael Burgess, the Surrey coroner, recorded a verdict of accidental death. He said: "The current legislative framework concerning spa baths seems to be advisory and of a guidance nature and certainly falls short of what one might expect."

Friday 2nd August 2002

Legionnaires' Disease victim dead

HEALTH officers from three counties are searching for a source of deadly Legionnaire’s Disease after a contract cleaner from Yateley died.

A spa area at a Camberley gym has already been closed to the public following the death of Craig Silvers, 40.

He died at Frimley Park Hospital on June 14 and a post mortem test was due to be carried out on June 20, followed by an inquest.

Legionnaires’ Disease is caused by the legionella bacterium, which is associated with water and causes potentially fatal pneumonia-like symptoms.

Although the disease cannot be passed from person to person, there is a risk of further infection from contaminated water if the source is not found quickly.

Environmental health officers have traced Mr Silvers’ movements. His job as a contract cleaner took him to places in Hampshire, Surrey and Berkshire.

Camberley gym Fitness First has been identified as a possible source and its spa area has been closed while tests are carried out.

But so far there is no evidence of the legionella bacteria in the water jets in the spa.

Ken Stewart, environmental health officer at Surrey Heath Council, said: “This is the second case of Legionnaires’ Disease we’ve had to investigate in just over a year.”

Mr Stewart added that the long incubation period of the disease made locating the contamination source difficult.

“You have to go back over quite a long time when looking for the cause.

“All premises that Mr Silvers visited will have to be investigated and if the organism is found to be present in one of them then we will immediately inform the public.

“As far as this local authority is concerned, we’ll continue with our investigations until we’re satisfied that we have found the source.”

Local authorities for the three counties are carrying out their own investigations into premises that could have caused the death of Mr Silvers.

A spokesman for Frimley Park Hospital confirmed that there was no risk to other patients or staff.

Dr Linda Booth, a consultant in communicable disease control, said: “Legionnaires’ can be due to all kinds of different water sources, from domestic to garden centres, air conditioning and things like spas with water jets.

“Organisms exist in lots of water supplies but don’t normally cause a problem.

“It is only if a system is not maintained properly that the conditions will be right for legionella to grow.”

Roger Russell, 61, of Crowthorne, died of Legionnaires’ Disease in June 2001 after inhaling the deadly bacteria from a spa bath on display at a Bagshot garden centre.

A decision has still not been made whether to prosecute Merlin Timber Products, the spa company, for his death.

Symptoms of Legionnaires’ Disease include fever, chills and a cough, with more severe cases including abdominal pains, diarrhoea and confusion.

But laboratory tests are needed to distinguish it from other forms of pneumonia.

It is usually treated with antibiotics but it becomes a serious threat when a person has the disease for a period of incubation without developing any tell-tale symptoms.

A spokeswoman for Fitness First said: “Fitness First has been informed by the environmental health authority that a 40-year-old man has died of Legionnaires’ Disease.

“The individual concerned worked for a contract cleaning company and was part of a team that cleaned Fitness First Camberley on June 1 and 2.

“Fitness First is co-operating fully with the health authorities in this matter and as a precautionary measure we have closed the spa area until the tests being conducted are complete.

“We would like to offer our deepest sympathy to the gentleman’s family and friends.

“To the best of our knowledge no employee or member of Fitness First has suffered any similar illness.”

77-YR-OLD MAN DIES AFTER LEGIONELLA INFECTION
January 21, 2002
Kyodo World Service

TOKYO (Kyodo) --

The health ministry was cited as saying Monday that a 77-year-old man has died of pneumonia after contracting legionella bacteria at a public bath in Tokyo's Itabashi Ward, the first death in Japan caused by legionella infection in a public bath.
The ministry will instruct prefectural governments nationwide to tighten hygiene controls at public baths, it said.

This statement is NOT TRUE

Read following article

Kansenshogaku Zasshi 1997 Feb;71(2):169-74
 
A case of fatal pneumonia caused by Legionella pneumophila serogroup 6
developed after drowning in a public bath]

Tokuda H, Yahagi N, Kasai S, Kitamura S, Otsuka Y.

Department of Internal Medicine, Social Health Insurance Medical Center.

A 57-year-old male was admitted to our hospital because of high fever, productive cough and dyspnea. Six days prior to admission he had an episode of drowning in a public bath. On admission chest X-ray showed wide-spread pneumonia causing severe respiratory distress for which mechanical ventilatory support was started. Despite chemotherapy including erythromycin and rifampicin his condition continued to deteriorate. Chemistry showed marked elevation of CPK and findings of acute renal failure. He eventually passed away with septic shock.

During the course Legionellae remained negative with culture of broncho-alveolar lavage fluid. L. pneumophila serogroup 1 (SG1) antigen in the urine was not detected, and no elevation of serum antibody titer was noted. Culture of the material obtained from the lung abscess at autopsy revealed L. pneumophila SG6 and serum antibody titer against SG6 also was found to be extremely high.

With this evidence we concluded that this case of pneumonia was caused by L.pneumophila SG6. We believe this is the first reported case of the SG6 pneumonia in Japan.
Another remarkable feature of this case was massive rhabdomyolysis pathologically confirmed after autopsy. Although the pathogenesis of this process has not been clarified, there are several case reports of rhabdomyolysis complicated with Legionnaires` disease in the past. Therefore, we should bear in mind and pay careful attention while coping with this disease.

READ THE JAPANESE ARTICLE FURTHER DOWN ON THIS PAGE

JAPANS LARGEST OUTBREAK

June 2000

The Largest Outbreak of Legionnaires` Disease in Japan 13 Cases 1 Death

18thrOutbreak of Legionnaires` disease associated with a hotel

18th October 2001

One case of legionnaires¡ disease and two cases of non-pneumonic legionella infection have been confirmed in an outbreak associated with a hotel in south west England.

Reports of illness indicate that there are at least a further seven unconfirmed cases with symptoms suggestive of Pontiac fever. 

The case of legionnaires` disease occurred in a woman aged 84 years and the two non-pneumonic cases in men aged between 60 to 70 years.

All those affected were part of a group and stayed at the hotel at the beginning of October. Exposure to a spa bath in the leisure facilities is likely to be the source of their illness. Guests from the party experienced a relatively sudden onset of fever, myalgia, and headache within 24 to 48 hours of using the spa bath. 

Ten cases were admitted to hospital either locally or on return from their holiday. All cases of Pontiac fever are thought to have recovered. 

The patient with legionnaires¡ disease was exposed to the spa bath (although did not enter it) three to four days before the onset of symptoms. Legionellae pneumophila serogroup 1 antigen has been detected in urine from the three cases and L. pneumophila sg1 isolated in one sample of water from a shower in the hotels pool area. All guests staying at the hotel during the first week of October have been contacted by letter and have been asked to complete a questionnaire. 

NOOSA, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA

18th December 2001

A teenage girl died in a Spa after her hair was sucked into the spa`s intake valve 

March 2000

LEGIONNAIRES`  DISEASE  OUTBREAKS  IN  JAPAN

Outbreak of Legionnaire’s disease by hot spring bath 9 Cases,  1 Death

Shizuoka Prefecture Health Officials said on 26 April that a 72-year-old male has by Legionnaire’s disease after visiting hot spring bath ,Shinrin No Yu of Health-Resort-Tsumagoi in Kakegawa City of Shizuoka Prefecture, in March. He visited the hot spring bath about the middle of March. He was taken ill on 20  March, then admitted to a hospital and died on 6  April.
Nine persons became ill with Legionella infection. National Institute of Infections Diseases said the largest outbreak of Legionnaires’ diseases in Japan.
Shizuoka Prefecture Health Officials identified Legionella Species isolated from seven patients were the same with the species isolated from the bath water.
Health-Resort Tsumagoi spokesman said the hot spring water has been disinfected by chlorine of  the concentration required for the drinking water.
 

June 2000

 The Largest Outbreak of Legionnaires` Disease in Japan   13 Cases   1 Death

Ibaragi Prefecture Health Officials said on 26  June that a 73-year –old  male  died by pneumonia was believed to have contracted legionnaires` disease after visiting the public hot bath in Ishioka City of Ibaragi Prefecture. He visited the public hot bath about the middle of June. He was taken ill on 12, then hospitalized and has died on 21.
Thirteen persons, 58-years-old to 85-years-old, were admitted to a hospital by the same pneumonia and three persons were in serious condition.
Eight males and five females admitted to the latter pat of May to 17 June, Serious three persons has been treated in ICU(Intensive Care Unit) and one was released from the hospital.
Legionella species were not found .

July 12 2000
Woman dies in hot tub

A soaking in a hot tub has  turned deadly for a woman.
Ottawa County sheriff's authorities say 36-year-old Brenda Conner slid under the  water Tuesday after soaking for about an hour  in a hot tub near Port Clinton. A unit on the hot  tub showed the water was 102 degrees.
Another woman with her and the woman's husband tried to revive Conner.
A  detective says an autopsy found Conner died from hyperthermia due to  acute alcohol intoxication.
He says her blood alcohol level was 0.33,  which is slightly more than three times the  legal limit for driving.

 Source AP

Melbourne Australia

 29th. June 2000

THE COLLINGWOOD Football Club was named today as a possible source of a case of legionnaires' disease, which has left a 32-year-old woman critically ill.

The woman worked as a student masseur at the club, Victoria's Human Services Department said in a statement.

 Department head of disease control, Professor William Hart, said tests on water from a spa in the Collingwood Football Club today confirmed legionella was present in the pool.

 The woman, who was currently in the Austin & Repatriation Centre, fell ill on June 17.

 The woman is the first case of legionnaires' disease in Victoria this year to be linked to a spa pool.

 There have been 198 cases of legionnaires' disease in Victoria so far this year, 113 arising from an outbreak at the Melbourne Aquarium.

 Collingwood president Eddie Maguire said the woman was a casual worker at the club and that all club football players had been notified.

source Media

Collingwood Football Club.
Magpies legionnaires' infection fears grow

July 1st.  2000

Hundreds of people may have been exposed to legionella bacteria from a contaminated spa in the players' room at the Collingwood Football Club.

A 32-year-old woman, who was a part-time masseuse at the club, is stable but still critically ill with legionnaires' disease. She is in the Austin and Repatriation Medical Centre.

Health officials believe she was infected by inhaling the fine spray from the spa surface.

Another three possible cases are being investigated by the Department of Human Services.
Professor William Hart, head of disease control for the department, said three people suffering respiratory illnesses and who had had contact with the club came forward yesterday.

Up to six other people, none of them players, indicated they had some symptoms and wanted to be tested after players, staff and club officials met at the clubrooms yesterday morning for a briefing by a government infectious diseases expert.

Collingwood chief executive officer Greg Swann said no players had shown any symptoms and none would be tested for legionella unless they showed flu-like symptoms.

The spa is considered to have been safe since it was heavily chlorinated on Friday, June 23, when health officials traced it as the possible source of infection.

Given that the incubation period is from two to 10 days after exposure, any further cases are likely to be evident by early next week.

Club doctor Paul Blackburn said none of the players fell into the high-risk category - aged over 50, heavy smokers or drinkers, diabetic or having chronic lung disease or impaired immune systems - and were unlikely to be at risk.

Collingwood captain Nathan Buckley said he had used the spa on Thursday night and he and the other players were satisfied that they were not at risk after yesterday's briefing. Buckley said he was conscious of the dangers of legionnaires' disease because of the Melbourne Aquarium outbreak earlier this year in which 113 people were infected and two died.

Club president Eddie McGuire said officials began contacting players and others who may have been exposed after learning at 7.30pm on Thursday that results from tests on the spa revealed heavy concentrations of legionella bacteria.

McGuire emphasised that only those people who had been in close proximity with the spa would have been exposed and that there was no danger to anyone using the main building, which includes the social club, or the grounds.

Preliminary samples taken from the club's air-conditioning cooling towers were negative.

Access to the spa in the players' room is controlled by an electronic security system. People permitted to enter the area, which includes about 40 staff, 46 players and a Victorian Football League team and an under-18 team, must punch in a digital code to gain entry.

"We all know what happened down at the aquarium so we're very concerned about any situation and we're all absolutely devastated that one of our masseurs has contracted the disease and is in a critical condition," McGuire said yesterday.

McGuire and Swann said the spa's installation and maintenance had met most of the recommended guidelines for private spa facilities but in light of what had happened the club was now adopting the more stringent guidelines recommended for public spas.

Thursday, July 20

Japanese Woman Succumbs to Legionnaires' Disease

JAPAN, Jul 20  An elderly patient at a hospital affiliated with the Nagoya University Faculty of Medicine died of pneumonia caused by legionella bacteria, reported local health officials on Tuesday.

According to The Japan Times, the officials who are investigating the case suspect the woman, who died on June 28, contracted the disease while at the hospital in Nagoya's Showa Ward.

Apparently, hospital investigators found legionella bacteria in a hospital bath that was open to patients around the clock, but they have yet to determine when she used it.

The bacteria in the woman's body nearly matches the bacteria found in the bathroom, and the DNA in the samples is currently being tested.

Hospital director Hidehiko Saito apologised for the death at a press conference. He said: "We are aware that the bacteria can occur in 24-hour baths, but we believed that all we had to do was to use agents to sterilise the water.
We took the situation too slightly."

Saito added that the hospital changed the bath water once a week and used chlorine and other agents to sterilise it. The hospital shut down the bath early this month.

On Tuesday, officials from Showa Ward's public health centre conducted inspections of the hospital, after being informed of a suspected in-hospital infection.

In June, five patients at Toyohashi Municipal Hospital in the prefecture became ill from in-hospital infections. One died of sepsis caused by a bacterium called pseudomonas putida. 

THIS IS A SPA MY SON USED IN MELBOURNE IN JUNE 2000 NOTICE THE AMOUNT OF DIRT IN THE BATH, THE JETS ARE ON THE BOTTOM SO AS ALL DIRT AND MUCK REMAINS IN THE PIPES, READ THE ABOVE INFORMATION  REGARDING CLEANING OF SPA BATHS