HEALTH authorities say they have contained an outbreak of deadly legionnaires’ disease in Footscray that claimed a life and hospitalised four other people.
A western suburbs man in his 50s died at the Western Hospital early on Thursday and a West Footscray woman, 75, Yarraville woman, 93, Footscray man, 69, and St Albans man, 56, were hospitalised.
The outbreak was traced to central Footscray where Health Department teams have disinfected 24 towers. The Health Department’s acting chief health officer, Dr Michael Ackland, said the cases arose between December 8 and Thursday, when the Footscray link was confirmed. “There should be no risk to people travelling in the Footscray area now, as all the cooling towers are now being disinfected, cleaned and rendered safe,” he said.
“All five people had visited the general area within a two-kilometre radius of central Footscray, and it’s important that anyone else who has been in the vicinity who develops flu-like symptoms sees their doctor.”
Legionnaires’ disease causes flu-like symptoms such as headache, fever, chills, muscle aches and pains, followed by respiratory problems and pneumonia developed over three or four days.
Onset can be up to 10 days after the initial contact with the bacteria. High-risk groups are people aged over 50, heavy smokers, heavy drinkers and those with diabetes, chronic lung disease or compromised immune systems.
A Health Department spokesman said it would take up to 10 days to determine which of the cooling towers was responsible.
