06.06.12
Legionnaires’ outbreak in Edinburgh
A man has died and 15 others are in a critical condition after an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in Edinburgh.
The health board said the patient who died, who was in his 50s, had underlying health conditions.
Dr Duncan McCormick, consultant in public health medicine and chairman of the incident management team at NHS Lothian, said: “I would like to express my sincere condolences to the family of the patient that died.
“Investigations into the possible source of this outbreak are on-going. Meanwhile, medical staff have been actively identifying possible cases to allow us to ascertain the full extent of this outbreak.
“I would like to reassure the public that household water supplies are safe and that Legionnaires' disease cannot be contracted by drinking water.”
The first case was identified on May 28.
The source of the outbreak is being investigated by the city council and experts from the Health & Safety Executive. Samples have been taken from cooling towers in the west of the city, but other possible sources have not been ruled out, according to the health board.
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