Legionnaires' disease outbreak covering 50 square miles hits Edinburgh

mithrandir

mithrandir

mithrandir

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The outbreak of the killer Legionnaires’ disease in Edinburgh last night escalated after claiming its first victim..
A male patient in his mid 50s - who was being treated for the deadly bug - died in the city’s Royal Infirmary.
At the same time as his death was confirmed, health chiefs revealed that 14 men and two women were now in a critical condition with the disease.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...disease-outbreak-Edinburgh.html#ixzz1wwsaTT9z
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DM



Legionnaires' disease in Edinburgh has claimed the life of a man in his 50s, as health authorities disclosed they were dealing with more than 30 confirmed and suspected cases.

The man, who had other underlying health problems, died at the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh on Tuesday. He was one of 15 people in a critical condition being treated in hospital, as the Health and Safety Executive stepped up their efforts to track the source of the outbreak.
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Guardian
 
Got any views about this? I'm not really worried, as I understand it you can't contract the disease through drinking water and I don't have a habit of inhaling water...

Didn't they think that it had come from contaminated compost?

Also, the "outbreak covering 50 square miles" is somewhat misleading.
 
Where did you get this 50square miles mumbo jumbo?
Last I heard the outbreak was in the less affluent areas (to use the current buzz words) unless I'm just being a divv with my geography.
 
can't you get this from drinking water that has been sitting around for a while, hence the reason you shouldn't drink water that doesn't come from the mains i.e water tank water
 
I wish I contracted Millionaire's disease then everything would be rosey.

Oh hang on you said Legionnaire's disease, doh!
 
Considering that Edinburgh has 100 square miles of city within it and that there has been 30? cases of the disease, it does not seem that implausible that the victim to victim perimeter could cover 50 square miles.
 
from my extensive* medical knowledge i know that there are two types of Legionnaires disease, one of which (at the time of publishing the book i read) would kill a relatively large percentage of people who caught it (30%?) but wouldnt spread to so many people. the other version very rarely kills anyone but is more easily caught.

does anyone know if its the lethal or non lethal version? the number of people in a critical condition with the disease makes me think its the lethal one :(


*a couple of weeks ago i read a book by desmond bagley where Legionnaires disease crops up a couple of times
 
MrMoonX said:
can't you get this from drinking water that has been sitting around for a while, hence the reason you shouldn't drink water that doesn't come from the mains i.e water tank water
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Its generally through breathing standing water which has become airbourne; ie steam in showers, jacuzzis, saunas, air conditioning units etc
 
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