|
A hotel in Torquay
has been closed after a guest was struck down by Legionnaires' Disease.
It has been
confirmed another holidaymaker at the Roseland Hotel in the resort's
Warren Road has gone down with the related Pontiac illness and a
further eight more cases are suspected.
The health authorities
are now trying to trace every guest who stayed at the hotel this
month.
The guests were
on a coach trip from the West Midlands. A woman is today said to
be in a "very poorly condition" at a hospital in Walsall,
after contracting Legionnaires' Disease.
It is believed
that five people were admitted to the hospital earlier this month,
after falling ill following the trip to Torquay.
Members of the
Public Health Team at South and West Devon Health Authority are
working closely with colleagues from Torbay Council’s Environmental
Health Department and the hotel’s owners.
In a statement,
the health authority confirmed that the Public Health Team has visited
the hotel to investigate possible causes of the fever.
Results received
today have confirmed that one former resident is suffering from
Pontiac Fever, and a further eight people are suspected of having
the disease.
There is also
one confirmed case of Legionnaires’ Disease, which is another condition
caused by the same bacteria.
Pontiac Fever
is an uncommon cause of a flu-like illness and requires no specific
treatment. Legionnaires'
Disease is rare, but may be very serious.
 |
|
Dr
Sarah Harrison
|
The health authority
has stressed that neither disease can be passed from one person
to another.
Dr Sarah Harrison,
Consultant in Communicable Disease Control at the health authority,
said: "We are now in the process of contacting everyone who was
resident at the hotel at the beginning of October, all of whom were
on holiday and have now returned home.
"The bacteria
that cause both diseases can be found in water systems. As a precautionary
measure, the owners of the hotel closed its leisure facilities as
soon as they were aware of the problem..
"We continue
to work with our Environmental Health colleagues while the source
of the outbreak is investigated."
WHAT
IS LEGIONNAIRES' DISEASE?
The bacteria
Legionella pneumophila can be found in water systems and may be
a problem in showers or spa baths, for example.
The disease
which they cause has two distinct forms - Legionnaires' Disease,
the more severe form of infection which includes pneumonia, and
Pontiac Fever, which is a milder illness.
Legionnaires’
Disease acquired its name in 1976 when an outbreak of pneumonia
occurred among people attending a convention of the American Legion
in Philadelphia.
Later, the bacterium
causing the illness was named Legionella. It is treated with antibiotics.
In 1999 in England
and Wales, 201 cases of Legionnaires’ Disease were reported, of
which 30 proved fatal.
For
more facts, use the internet links on this page.
|
