Legionnaires' disease infects dozens in England

LONDON -- Ninety-four people were hospitalized Monday after the worst Legionnaires' disease outbreak in nearly a decade -- an outbreak that already has killed one elderly man in northwest Britain.

Sixty-four of those patients were confirmed to have the illness, while the remaining 30 were suspected of having it, health officials said. Eighteen people were in intensive-care units at five hospitals.

At the start of the outbreak, officials said they expected nearly 100 more cases to emerge in the next week or so.

The 89-year-old man who died Friday was identified Monday as Richard Macaulay.

Public health officials investigating the outbreak said they believed its source was the air conditioning system at a community center in the town of Barrow-in-Furness.

Legionnaires' disease is a type of pneumonia caused by bacteria in water droplets. The legionella bacteria are found in water, and the source of infection in most major outbreaks has been water in the heating or air conditioning systems of public buildings.

Some people can be infected with the bug and have mild symptoms or no illness at all, but between 5 percent and 30 percent of the infected die.

Tests conducted on the water plant at the community center revealed legionella bacteria.

The local council that runs the community center has turned over all documents to police. A council officer responsible for maintenance of the center's air conditioning system was suspended Sunday pending the results of a police and Health and Safety Executive investigation.

Also Monday, authorities were investigating contamination of the water in Glasgow, Scotland, after high levels of the intestinal parasite cryptosporidium were detected.