Source of Legionnaires' outbreak that has infected 61 'may never be known'

The source of the Legionnaires' outbreak that has infected at least 61 people may never be known, health secretary Nicola Sturgeon has said.

Nicola Sturgeon told Holyrood there were 24 confirmed cases of the disease and 37 suspected as of midday on Thursday.

She said NHS Lothian services were "busy but coping with the demands" of the outbreak, which has so far resulted in one death.

Health officials expect the number of case to continue to rise over the next few days. However, Ms Sturgeon said the symptoms of the most recent patients appeared to be less severe.

Currently 12 people are being treated in intensive care, 28 are in general hospital, 13 treated in the community while five have been discharged.

Robert Air, a 56-year-old father, died in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary on Tuesday after falling ill with the disease while working on a building site on Gorgie Road.

His employers, building firm J. Smart and Company, said Mr Air was "a good and conscientious employee who will be missed," adding: "our thoughts are with his family."

Ms Sturgeon told MSPs on Thursday: "It is still too early to say we have reached the peak of this."

She stressed that the most important action that was being taken in addition to the treatment of patients was the identification and treatment of possible sources of the disease.

The deputy first minister explained that several sites in the city have been re-tested and re-treatment of these was under way "as a precaution". Two more possible locations have been identified, tested and treated, though the health secretary would not say exactly where they were.

Ms Sturgeon said: "Past experience of outbreaks like this tell us that sometimes it is not possible ever to conclusively, without reasonable doubt, identify the source."

"People who are being admitted to hospital with the symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease are generally at the moment less ill than had been the case earlier in the outbreak.

"We are seeing fewer people who are admitted to hospital going into intensive care and we are seeing an increase in the number of people who are well enough to be treated in the community. That’s positive because it show people who are ill have got more chance of making a full recovery. It is likely to be an issue of early diagnosis.”

'Unusual step'

In her statement to Holyrood, she explained that it was "the most significant Legionnaires' outbreak we have had in Scotland for a long, long time, perhaps since the early 1980s".

She also stated she had taken the "unusual step" of activating the Scottish Government's resilience committee in response to the outbreak because of the "significant spike" in the infection rate on Tuesday.

"It is not normal practice for a public health outbreak within a single health area," Ms Sturgeon said.

She also admitted there was concern that these cases may cross to other health areas. The majority of those infected are linked to the Dalry, Gorgie and Saughton areas in the south-west of the city.

People displaying symptoms of the disease are being asked if they have attended any large public gatherings such as Hearts' Scottish Cup victory parade last month and the Jubilee street parties this weekend.

NHS Lothian said these were "routine questions" for investigating an outbreak and it does not have evidence to link the spread of the disease with either of these events.

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