Posted on 02/14/2020 5:30:58 PM PST by untenured
The Centre for Health Protection has found excessive levels of Legionella bacteria in tested samples of cooling towers at Choi Hung MTR station following 11 infections in Wong Tai Sin, a nearby neighbourhood.
The water-dwelling bacteria causes Legionnaires’ disease which can lead to a fever, cough, headache, muscle pain and diarrhoea. Humans contract the disease – which can be lethal – by inhaling contaminated droplets. The incubation period is around two to 10 days. High-risk groups including people over the age of 50 and with weakened immunity. There is no known vaccine but the disease can be treated with antibiotics.
As of Thursday, the Centre for Health Protection has recorded 11 patients aged 65 to 84 as testing positive for Legionnaires’ disease in February.
The latest case involved an 82-year-old man who lived in Kam Hon House, Choi Hung Estate, Wong Tai Sin.
The Centre said it had conducted site visits with the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department to collect water samples and swabs from patients’ flats, the MTR station and the vicinity to investigate possible sources of infection. Water samples from three out of four freshwater cooling towers outside Choi Hung MTR station showed excessive levels of legionella, it said.
“We have suspended the operation of all four cooling towers,” MTR Operations Director Tony Lee told reporters.
Lee explained that the major functions of the towers were to cool down the air-conditioning system: “Their locations are outside of the station and do not impact indoor air,” he said.
The MTR Corporation has assigned contractors to clean and disinfect the cooling towers thoroughly in line with the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department maintenance guidelines, Lee said.
The towers were disinfected on February 4 and 12, however, the Centre will collect water samples again to check for any remaining bacteria, he added.
Choi Hung District Councillor Sean Mock told HKFP that he was concerned about the infections: “We spoke with the Housing Department on February 1, following two infections in Luk Ching House and Pak Suet House, and requested a thorough cleaning of the water tanks at the buildings, which was carried out the following day,” he said.
Mock said the district council has worked closely with MTR Corporation to limit the number of infections: “We are consulting professionals to see if further measures like a total shut-down of the MTR station would be necessary,” he said.
Lee added that as a preventative measure, ventilation systems at MTR stations have been maximised amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.
The whole place is a mess.
What if this stuff merges with that other stuff?
Will we have some really, really, bad stuff?
But the mist from the water spray in the chilling towers will blow to the four winds.
I think something’s going on...
That was found by testing water at the VA hospital in Pittsburgh. In was in the public water supply.
And no big problems followed?
The VA brought in water. I suspect the city water was subjected to extra treatment. I was told that none of the other hospitals went public, By law the VA had to according to one of the staff.
UV radiation kills it. Install inside ducts
nah- legionnaires is a sorta common problem- cruise ships used to get it a lot- and every now and again these days you hear of it- it’s usually in air ducts- for some reason- probably because of mold from moisture buildup- but I’m not sure-
.
I’m sure you’re right.
Just seemed a little freaky to me.
:)
wow- it’s some nasty stuff- hope your child is fine-
didn’t realize it could come from humidifiers too- but makes sense that it does- we’ll have to be careful with ours- thanks for the warning on that
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