Published Date: 2001-08-15 23:50:00
Subject: PRO/EDR> Legionellosis - Spain (Pamplona)
Archive Number: 20010815.1929
LEGIONELLOSIS - SPAIN (PAMPLONA)
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See Also
Legionellosis - Spain (Murcia) 20010710.1331Legionellosis - Spain (Murcia) (07): ended 20010722.1431
2000
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Legionellosis - Spain (Barcelona) 20001116.2005
Legionellosis - Spain (Vigo, Arbizu) 20001018.1796
Legionellosis - Spain (Vigo, Arbizu) (02) 20001026.1860
Legionellosis - Spain: 2000 20001209.2163
1999
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Legionellosis - Spain (Benidorm) 19990128.0128
Legionellosis - Spain (Guipuzcoa) 19990604.0934
1998
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Legionellosis - Spain (Zaragoza) 19981130.2302
1997
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Legionellosis - Spain: summary 19970304.0483
Legionellosis - Spain: summary (02) 19970626.1381
1996
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Legionellosis - Spain: RFI 19961012.1728
Legionellosis - Spain (02) 19961014.1734
Legionellosis - Spain (8) 19961215.2080
Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2001 22:18:30 +0800
From: Denis Green <snoigel@hotmail.com>
Source: Noticia, 14 Aug 2001 [transl. Denis Green/Paul Guttry [edited
<http://www.efe.es/nacional/detallenoticia.asp?opcion=1&id=2077085>
The department of Health of the Government of Navarre has recently detected
11 cases of legionella infection at the Hospital Virgen del Camino, in
Pamplona. The source of the outbreak is probably the hot water system of
the sanitary center.
In a press conference, the regional health advisor, Santiago Cervera,
stated that in the course of the outbreak 2 of the infected patients have
passed away, although he clarified that "nobody will be able to say that
has been because of legionella" rather than the combination of serious
pathologies from which each of the deceased had been suffering.
Cervera pointed out that one of the deceased, an 80-year-old, had been
suffering from renal dysfunction, cardiopathy, and severe obesity, and the
other an acute cancer of the blood.
The first case of legionellosis was detected 2 Aug 2001 and others after 6
Aug 2001, in 10 older patients, several of whom are in grave or critical
condition, having developed pneumonia in the hospital (even though was not
the reason for their admission to the hospital). One case was in a person
accompanying one of the patients to the hospital.
With the exception of one of the infected patients, who is in the ICU of
the Navarre hospital, the other affected patients are expected to recover
after undergoing antibiotic treatment in the Hospital Virgen del Camino.
The Health Minister indicated that the outbreak had been detected through a
system of urine tests that have been carried out for the last 2 years at
the health center on patients who show symptoms of the disease.
Cervera pointed out that the tests performed on the building's cooling
tower had been negative, and that the tests of the hot water distribution
system had shown the presence of the bacteria, indicating that this was the
source of the infection's spread.
For this reason, tonight the water distribution system will be subjected to
a process of heating and an increase in ion distribution, thanks to a
pioneering system installed at the health center last year. Meanwhile,
over the weekend a 24-hour hyperchlorination will be carried out to
eradicate the bacteria.
For this reason, the Minister called the Hospital Virgen del Camino
exemplary in its adoption of preventative measures against legionella, as
it applies rigorous standards of chlorination, temperature, and ionization
of water, as well as weekly disinfection of the cooling tower using the
latest technology.
Regarding the question of how infection continued even under the measures
mentioned above, Cervera said that the most likely hypothesis is that
during the summer, there was a change in the pattern of hot water use
because of so many empty hospital rooms. The bacteria could have developed
in a closed water main and then gotten into the general distribution system
through backflow.
The Minister, who stated that the outbreak "is a situation no one is happy
about, but which was acted upon with significant speed," also commented
that the incubation period of legionellosis is 10 days, and that the
possibility of new cases should not be discounted.
--
Denis Green
<snoigel@hotmail.com>
[While this report was being prepared, another similar report was received
from Pablo Nart. - Mod.ES
....................pg/es
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