An appeal to Canterbury businesses with cooling towers

12 June 2015

An appeal to Canterbury businesses with cooling towers

Canterbury District Health Board and Christchurch City Council officials are working with representatives from the air conditioning industry to contact businesses in an industrial area in Hillsborough to ensure water-based cooling systems are being properly maintained.

This is in response to a small cluster of Legionnaires’ disease cases in the area. Since the beginning of April, laboratory testing has confirmed that six adults have been hospitalised by the bacteria Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1. Possible sources for this type of Legionnaires’ disease include cooling towers and evaporative condensers.

Canterbury Medical Officer of Health Dr Ramon Pink is urging businesses in the area to sample and treat their cooling towers and evaporative condensers.

“The Legionella bacteria can live in water-based cooling systems, and can become dangerous when airborne. Businesses with these systemsneed to regularly sample and, where necessary, treat them to prevent the bacteria from circulating,” says Dr Pink.

On 8 April a contaminated cooling tower was identified and treated. It is possible that this cooling tower was the source of all four cases notified in April. Two more cases were identified during May, indicating there maybe another source.

Dr Pink says the risk to an individual living or working in the area of contracting Legionnaires’ disease is very low.

Of the six cases, four were female and two male. They ranged in age from 49-79, and all have links to the area. All have been discharged from hospital.

Symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease include influenza-like symptoms, a fever, muscle aches and a headache. If you are concerned, or displaying these symptoms, please contact your general practice team.

Home air conditioners and heat pumps, and vehicle air conditioners, are not a source of legionella bacteria.

Find more information including frequently asked questions here.

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