Suspected case of Legionnaires' disease in Richmond (From Your Local Guardian)

Patient from Richmond admitted to Kingston Hospital with suspected Legionnaires' disease

1:18pm Monday 16th August 2010 in Richmond By Christine Fleming

A suspected case of Legionnaires' disease was confirmed in Richmond today.

Kingston Hospital confirmed one person had been admitted with suspected Legionnaires, which is a serious form of pneumonia.

A spokesman said: “We can confirm that one patient was admitted into the trust through accident and emergency with suspected community-acquired Legionnaires' disease.

"The Health Protection Agency (HPA) was informed as soon as tests confirmed the patient had community-acquired Legionnaires’ disease.”

Legionnaires disease is caused by bacteria called Legionella pneumophila and is caught by breathing in small droplets of water suspended in the air which contain the bug.

Symptoms can include high temperature, fever and chills, coughing, muscle pain and headaches. In severe cases it can be fatal.

The HPA is investigating the case.

Dr Fiona Neely, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control at the South West London Health Protection Unit confirmed they were investigating and that it was an isolated case.

She said: “We are currently working with the Health and Safety Executive and Environmental Health to try to identify where this person acquired their infection. To do this, we investigate all the places they have been within the last two weeks before they became ill – this will involve their home; workplace and anywhere else they have visited.

"Because legionella bacteria are commonly found in the environment, however, it is possible that we will not find a cause for this person’s infection."

“It is important to reassure people that Legionnaires’ disease can not be spread from person to person. It is also important that people are aware a source for Legionnaires’ infections is not necessarily always located” she added.