Published Date: 2012-07-25 10:58:40
Subject: PRO/EDR> Legionellosis - UK (10): (England) RFI
Archive Number: 20120725.1213968
LEGIONELLOSIS - UK (10): (ENGLAND) REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
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Date: Tue 24 Jul 2012
Source: BBC News Stoke & Staffordshire [edited]
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-18971993
7 people are being treated for Legionnaires' disease in an outbreak in Stoke-on-Trent. Those affected are 6 men and a woman, aged between their late 40s and 75, health officials said; 2 men in their 70s are described as "stable," and the other patients are said to be "improving." The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said all 7 patients were being treated at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire.
Prof Harsh Duggal, director of the Health Protection Unit in Stafford, said: "While we do not currently have a direct link between the cases, the evidence points to the fact that there is a common source. We are taking detailed histories of the movements of the patients to see if there are similar patterns, which would indicate a local source of infection. Legionnaires' disease is a rare but potentially life-threatening illness. It is caused by bacteria commonly associated with water systems and cannot be passed from person to person."
The HPA added it was also investigating 2 cases identified in early summer as being possibly linked to the current cluster. The agency is working with the Health and Safety Executive, the NHS [National Health Service] in Stoke, and the city council to try to identify and control any possible sources of the disease. The 7 cases are not hospital acquired, health officials said.
Healthcare staff in the areas where the patients live have been alerted to look out for symptoms. Officials said early signs include flu-like symptoms, with muscle aches, tiredness, headaches, dry cough and fever which can lead to pneumonia. Diarrhoea and confusion may occur as well as chest and breathing symptoms. The disease can be effectively treated with antibiotics.
There were 239 cases of the disease in England and Wales in 2011, including 23 in the West Midlands.
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[For a discussion of Legionnaires' disease, see ProMED-mail post Legionellosis - UK (02): (Scotland) 20120605.1156972. We await more information on the epidemiology of this outbreak of Legionnaires' disease.
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England, with a population of 1 047 380 (2001) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staffordshire). Stoke-on-Trent, the largest city in Staffordshire, was known for its pottery industry but is now a center for service industries and distribution centers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoke-on-Trent). For a map of England showing Staffordshire County, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Staffordshire_UK_locator_map_2010.svg.
Maps of England can be seen at http://www.localjobs.co.uk/images/uk_ireland_map.jpg (regions) and http://healthmap.org/r/2IVn. - Mod.ML]
See Also
Legionellosis - UK (09): (Scotland) more cases, fatal 20120713.1200937Legionellosis - UK (08): (Scotland) more cases, fatal 20120704.1189315
Legionellosis - UK (07): (Scotland) 20120612.1166013
Legionellosis - UK (06): (Scotland) 20120612.1164841
Legionellosis - UK (05): (Scotland) more cases, fatal 20120609.1162615
Legionellosis - UK (04): (Scotland) more cases, fatal 20120607.1159816
Legionellosis - UK (03): (Scotland) fatal 20120606.1157653
Legionellosis - UK (02): (Scotland) 20120605.1156972
Legionellosis - UK: (Scotland) L. longbeachae, compost, fatal 20120529.1148827
2011
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Legionellosis - UK ex Greece (02): travelers, RFI 20111015.3093
Legionellosis - UK ex Greece, travelers, alert 20111008.3021
Legionellosis, fatal - UK: (Wales) 2010 closure 20110804.2348
Legionellosis, fatal - UK (02): (Scotland) 20110611.1775
Legionellosis, fatal - UK: (Scotland) 20110514.1472
Legionellosis, hotel - UK (03): (Scotland) 20110408.1100
Legionellosis, hotel - UK (02): (Scotland) background 20110328.0974
Legionellosis, hotel - UK: (Scotland) 20110327.0965
2010
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Legionellosis, fatal - UK (03): (Wales) 20101014.3725
Legionellosis, fatal - UK (02): (Wales) 20100916.3352
Legionellosis, fatal - UK: (Wales) 20100914.3321
2006
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Legionellosis, spa pool - UK (England) 20060929.2787
2005
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Legionellosis - UK (England) 20050906.2639
2004
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Legionellosis, fatal 2003 - UK ex India: background 20040630.1736
Legionellosis, fatal 2003 - UK ex India 20040628.1724
2003
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Legionellosis - UK (West Midlands) (03) 20031126.2925
Legionellosis - UK (West Midlands) (02) 20031117.2856
Legionellosis - UK (West Midlands) 20031109.2778
Legionellosis, hotel - UK (England) (02) 20030316.0663
Legionellosis, hotel - UK (England) 20030311.0599
2002
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Legionellosis - UK (England) (03) 20021105.5718
Legionellosis - UK (England) (02) 20020809.5004
Legionellosis - UK (Cumbria) 20020805.4951
2001
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Legionellosis - UK (London): alert 20010630.1249
2000
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Legionellosis - UK (Wales) (03) 20000503.0674
Legionellosis - UK (Wales) 20000430.0655
Legionellosis - UK (Wales) (02) 20000430.0659
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