Update: two dead in Melbourne Legionnaires’ outbreak

A woman in her 90s and a man in his 60s have died from an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in metropolitan Melbourne. The outbreak has so far infected 94 people, with most those requiring hospitalisation.

Victoria’s Chief Health Officer, Dr Clare Looker, says the outbreak seems to be slowing down, and may have subsided naturally.

“We’ve definitely seen a decrease in the speed with which notifications are coming in and definitely a clustering of those symptoms and onsets from those earlier dates,” Looker says. “There may have been colonisation of a unit that then subsequently cleared.”

The Victorian Department of Health says the signs point to a single source of infection, most likely a cooling tower. The department has narrowed down the search to industrial water cooling towers in Derrimut and Laverton North, but has not yet identified the exact source, having conducted tests on 54 of around 100 cooling towers in the area.

Authorities have called for cooling tower operators to remain vigilant and ensure that their testing and servicing procedures are up to date.

Legionnaires’ disease can cause a chest infection with symptoms of fever, chills, cough, headache and muscle aches and pains. Other atypical symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and confusion.

People over 40 are most at risk of contracting the disease, especially if they smoke or have a chronic respiratory condition. Those who develop symptoms should seek urgent medical care.