“Very surreal experience”: Legionellosis survivors require registration and maintenance-New Brunswick

New Brunswick public health authorities are continuing to investigate, Outbreak of legionellosis in monctonUniversity professors and sick survivors have repeatedly called for state-led registration of cooling towers.

Legionellosis is caused by bacteria called legionella found in natural waters such as ponds, lakes and streams, and in artificial water systems such as air conditioners, cooling towers, jet baths, spas and decorative fountains.

In cooling towers, bacteria can diffuse into the air and be carried by the wind over kilometers. It cannot be transmitted from person to person.

“If the conditions are right, bacteria can grow, and when a mist is generated that allows the bacteria to invade and spread in the air, people can inhale it,” community health said. Dr. Yves Leger, a medical officer, says. , Told Global News on Sunday.

Riverview resident Ken Martin said he had legionellosis in 2018, a year before the outbreak, and was put to life support after being admitted to Moncton City Hospital.

“It was a very surreal experience and a very long recovery,” he says.

“To date, I don’t know where I caught Legionella.”

The state declared an outbreak on Friday, After 6 cases were reported in 2 weeks.

“My sympathy goes to those people and their loved ones,” says Martin.

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NB health authorities investigating the outbreak of legionellosis in Moncton

Cooling tower registration, maintenance law requirements

After the outbreak in 2019, the registration of the cooling tower was required. Both were proposed by Dr. Leger and Mayor of Moncton, Dawn Arnold.

A spokesperson for the city of Moncton states that he is getting information about the new build, but that the registry needs to be the responsibility of the state.

“Our position is to take a consistent and coordinated approach, the state has registries for these towers to track when they were cleaned in the event of an outbreak elsewhere. We need to be able to do it. ” Austin Henderson, Strategic Communications Manager for the city.

However, Sébastien Faucher, an associate professor of the Department of Natural Resources Science at McGill University, has been vigilant as a second outbreak has been reported in the same area in the last three years. He has been studying Legionella since 2007.

Cooling towers are a “very complex ecosystem,” he says.

“If we don’t do anything about it, you’ll have more and more of those massive outbreaks,” he says.

He says testing and maintenance requirements will help reduce the likelihood of Legionella epidemics.

The law requiring system testing and maintenance is also endorsed by survivor Martin.

“Whatever the law they bring in, they need to have teeth,” he says. “If they don’t have teeth, they’re useless.”

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Moncton women talk about being placed in a medically-induced coma after the outbreak of legionellosis

Seek medical attention if you have any symptoms

“In this area, there are usually some cases in late summer and early autumn, which is not uncommon,” Dr. Leger said on Sunday. “But it’s definitely rare to see so many cases in such a short period of time.”

He said his department was trying to find common exposures among six patients and sent samples to test to see if the bacteria were of the same type. This indicates whether there is a single cause for these infections.

Symptoms are similar to those of pneumonia, including fever, shortness of breath, new or worsening cough, headache, and muscle aches.

Elderly people, immunocompromised people, smokers, and people with diabetes are at increased risk of serious illness.

Leger admitted that the symptoms resemble those of COVID-19, and emphasized that anyone who notices these symptoms should see a doctor to find out why. He also said his department would send notes to healthcare providers to remind them to consider legionellosis in their diagnosis.

– Use Rebecca Lau files