Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
13 July 2012 09:19
Health officials in Auckland have declared the legionnaires outbreak over
Auckland's Regional Public Health Service has confirmed the city's legionnaires outbreak is officially at an end.
There were 17 cases of Legionella pneumophila (Lp1) between February and July but no source was discovered for the outbreak and, as there have been just two confirmed cases in the past 78 days, it has has now been declared over.
Building owners were advised to shock-dose their cooling systems as a result of the outbreak and Medical Officer of Health Dr Simon Baker said it has at least raised awareness of the risks and the need to monitor vulnerable water systems.
"Legionella bacteria occur naturally in the environment and can reach levels dangerous to people. The Lp1 sub-species is commonly found in warm water systems. This outbreak indicates that maintaining cooling tower surveillance and treatment is of paramount importance," he said.
"Any systems that use stored water without heating or cooling sufficient to kill bacteria need to be carefully monitored for Legionella presence and treated if necessary."
Building owners also had to test for Legionella after three to seven days as a precaution during the outbreak and an inter-agency working party may push for legislative changes to make it mandatory to do so every month.
Auckland Council building control manager Ian McCormick said the group, which includes public health and building industry groups, may also suggest putting cooling towers on a register.
Although the outbreak has been declared over, the incident offers a timely reminder of the need for medical travel insurance before jetting off to New Zealand and other countries.
15 August 2018
A simple blood test could help GPs detect a rare form of bone marrow cancer much earlier, a new study suggests.
[more...]
14 August 2018
Passengers arriving at Heathrow Airport last month faced queues of over two and a half hours at passport control, new figures have revealed.
11 August 2018
Hundreds of Ryanair flights will not take off as planned on Friday due to pilot strikes in five countries.
10 August 2018
Fad diets that cut out carbs while increasing fat consumption could lead to an increased risk of diabetes, according to new research.
09 August 2018
HIV testing has become even more accessible after a self-testing kit was made available from a High Street retailer.
08 August 2018
Women patients are more likely to survive a heart attack if they are treated by a female doctor, a new US study has revealed.
07 August 2018
The head of British Airways has branded two-hour queues facing travellers at Heathrow's passport control as a "border farce."
04 August 2018
Simple factors such as gender and body mass can help doctors to personalise care for patients with type 2 diabetes and avoid harmful side effects, according to a study.
03 August 2018
Gatwick Express must no longer claim it runs "non-stop to Victoria station in half an hour" and "in just 30 minutes" unless it can achieve the time in most cases, a watchdog has ruled.
02 August 2018
A charity is calling for greater access to respite support after it emerged that 72% of Britain's 700,000 young carers feel lonely and isolated during the summer holidays.
01 August 2018
A plan to build new rail links with Heathrow Airport and connect Windsor's two train stations have been submitted to the Government.
31 July 2018
The head of International Airlines Group (IAG), the company that owns British Airways, is 'optimistic' about a legal challenge to end crippling strikes.