Three people have contracted legionellosis in Anjou and Mercier-Est in recent days, and one of them has died, the regional directorate of public health in Montreal has just announced. The three cases were confirmed between July 29 and August 8.
Posted at 1:37 p.m.
Updated at 2:57 p.m.
The victim is a man who died of complications from the disease. Despite this death, public health considers that there is “no need to worry for the population of eastern Montreal except to remain vigilant for the appearance of symptoms similar to those of a pneumonia or even COVID-19, such as high fever, chills, cough, fatigue, muscle aches or loss of appetite.”
The area where the three cases occurred is east of Highway 25, south of Highway 40, west of Avenue George V and north of the river.
“An investigation is underway to identify whether the three cases were exposed to the same source of exposure. This particularly targets the water cooling towers of the perimeter, ”indicates public health in a press release.
Called to react, the national director of public health, the Dr Luc Boileau, said Wednesday to be “aware of the situation”. “We are of course busy giving it all the necessary attention. Regional Public Health is on the case, with the national expertise required in such circumstances. We are concerned and we want people to be aware of it, but there is no signal of concern to transmit,” argued Mr. Boileau.
“All seriousness is taken there, but it is not a communicable disease”, he insisted again, wanting to be reassuring.
Last year, 52 cases of legionellosis were reported in Montreal. Since the beginning of the year, 27 cases have been recorded in the metropolis. Legionnaires’ disease, which occurs throughout the year, is more frequent in summer and autumn.
Transmission
Public health mentions that the bacterium responsible for legionellosis “is found almost everywhere in the environment, mainly in fresh water (eg lake, river), but sometimes in significant quantities in artificial water sources (eg. water cooling towers, water heater, faucet aerator)”.
Legionellosis can be caught through water or fine droplets of contaminated water, especially if a water heater is not set to a high enough temperature. Microorganisms multiply in hot water between 32 and 45°C. The Government of Quebec therefore recommends that the public keep their water heater at a temperature of 60°C or more.
A person can also become infected through the air from a water cooling tower, spa, shower, or by sucking in contaminated water. The disease is not transmitted from person to person.
Symptoms appear 2 to 10 days after infection. In most cases the infection takes 2 to 5 days to heal. The disease has a fatality rate between 10 and 15%. The elderly, immunosuppressed people, people who smoke and those with chronic illnesses are particularly vulnerable to infection.
Regulations
In 2012, 183 people were infected with the bacteria due to the contamination of two cooling towers of a building in Quebec. A total of 13 people lost their lives. Since this event, Quebec has adopted strict regulations to prevent the proliferation of the bacteria.
The owners of a cooling tower must therefore register it with the Régie du bâtiment once a year. To ensure safe operation, they must also have maintenance programs.
With Henri Ouellette-Vézina, The Press