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Air Conditioner Unit, Possible Source of Toronto Disease Outbreak: Officials

Posted on: Friday, 14 October 2005, 09:01 CDT

Air conditioner unit, possible source of Toronto disease outbreak: officials

OTTAWA, Oct.13 (Xinhua) -- A roof-top air conditioning unit is likely the source of the deadly legionnaires' disease outbreak that has killed 17 in Toronto, Canadian health officials said Thursday.

An air conditioner could easily spread illness as the bacteria could spread through condensed water droplets that form during the cooling process, Dr. David Mckeown, the city's medical officer of health, told reporters.

"That aerosol, including the bacteria, could get sucked into a building's air conditioning system or could float down on the street in front of a building and be inhaled by someone passing by," McKeown said.

He briefed reporters on the development of the investigation into the cause of the disease at Seven Oaks Home for the Aged in East Toronto.

Air conditioning units at the nursing home and a nearby seniors' apartment building have been taken off line for investigation. Test results are expected to be ready in about a week, said McKeown.

McKeown's comments came less than 24 hours after the city's health department announced that two patients with no connection to the nursing home are now recovering from legionnaire's disease.

McKeown asserted that the risk of a further outbreak of legionnaires' disease is "extremely low," because the new cases are part of the same outbreak in the nursing home.

The outbreak at Seven Oaks began in late September and sickened more than 100 people, including residents, employees and visitors to the nursing home.

There have been no new deaths since last Friday, but the home remains closed to new admissions and most visitors.

Source: Xinhua News Agency - CEIS

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