17 June 2016
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (June 17) investigating a case of Legionnaires' disease (LD) in St Teresa's Hospital (STH), and stressed the importance of using and maintaining properly designed man-made water systems and that susceptible groups should strictly observe relevant precautions.
The male patient, aged 59, has been admitted to STH for management of his underlying illnesses since mid-December 2015. He has developed oxygen desaturation since June 8, 2016, and was transferred to the Special Care Unit for further treatment on the same day. The clinical diagnosis was pneumonia and he was in critical condition.
His tracheal aspirate tested positive for Legionella pneumophila (non-serogroup 1) upon laboratory testing by Queen Mary Hospital.
The patient had no travel history during the incubation period.
"Epidemiological investigations with STH are ongoing to identify potential sources of infection, high-risk exposure and clusters, if any. Relevant water samples and environmental swabs will be collected from potential sources for laboratory testing," a spokesman for the CHP said.
Tracing of contacts including staff and in-patients therein is ongoing and STH has been put under medical surveillance. The CHP has provided health advice against LD to staff and in-patients, including those with weakened immunity who should use sterile or boiled water for drinking, tooth brushing and mouth rinsing.
To date, a total of 27 LD cases (26 community-acquired cases and the above institutional case) have been reported in 2016. In 2015 and 2014, there were 66 and 41 cases respectively.
Legionellae are found in various environmental settings and grow well in warm water (20 to 45 degrees Celsius). They can be found in aqueous environments such as water tanks, hot and cold water systems, cooling towers, whirlpools and spas, water fountains and home apparatus that support breathing. People may get infected when they breathe in contaminated droplets (aerosols) and mist generated by artificial water systems. They may also get the infection when handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes.
Persons with weakened immunity should strictly observe the health advice below:
The public, including susceptible groups, should take heed of the general precautions against LD below:
More information is available at the webpages below: