Fears for workers at office as pair get legionnaires' disease
Allianz risk-management director James Gleeson at the firm's offices on the Merrion Road, Dublin, which is at the centre of the alert over legionnaires disease
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Wednesday July 09 2008
THERE are fears for the health of colleagues of two insurance workers hospitalised after contracting the potentially deadly legionnaires' disease at their workplace.
Last night, it emerged that tests have indicated a further three may have contracted the bug.
Now it is feared more workers may fall ill as legionnaires' has an incubation period of up to 10 days.
The two Allianz employees contracted the disease from a cooling tower which was harbouring the bug at the company's offices on Merrion Road, Dublin.
A further 19 out of their 500 staff are now being tested after fears that they were displaying some minor symptoms. Of those, three were found to be at risk of contracting full legionnaires and were given antiobiotics to treat it before being sent home.
A company spokesman said the workers had a "strain" of legionnaires but said he did not know if it was the Legionella bacteria they had contracted.
The first full-blown case arose when a man in his late 40s was diagnosed on June 27. He fell into a coma but a company spokesman said it was understood that he had been discharged from hospital yesterday.
The second case involved a man in his early 50s, who was diagnosed yesterday and is currently being treated. He is likely to be in hospital for up to 10 days.
James Gleeson, director of risk management with Allianz, said the firm was contacted immediately after the first diagnosis was made so that tests could be carried out to determine the origin of the disease, which is contracted by inhaling infected droplets of water.
"Our approach was to check if it had originated here and tests identified the cooling tower as a potentially high-risk area," said Mr Gleeson.
The tower is part of the air-conditioning system and is located in a basement carpark.
"The system never had any association with systems in the office or meeting rooms," he added.
However, it is believed the two men contracted the disease after inhaling water droplets being emitted from the tower.
"Staff were made aware of the situation and if they had any symptoms they were asked to present themselves to the company doctor of the HR department.
"The cooling tower has been shut down, cleaned, disinfected, sterilised and fully drained down," said Mr Gleeson, adding that there was now no risk to staff. "The only concern that remains is that the disease has an incubation period of 10 days."
The disease manifests itself in a similar way to pneumonia; symptoms include coughing and fever.
Concerned
Yesterday, a number of staff members who were concerned went to St Vincent's Hospital for tests.
The results of urine samples will be available today.
The tower was shut down seven days ago; and the Health Service Executive (HSE) and Health and Safety Authority (HSA) have been notified.
"We are now looking at why it happened," Mr Gleeson added.
Although rare, legionnaires is potentially deadly.
In 2006, 13 cases of the disease were notified in Ireland, a rate of 3.1 per million population. This was the highest rate recorded to date, but no deaths were recorded.
All managers at the Allianz building have been asked to contact staff who are out of the office, to make them aware of the next steps to take if they have any concerns or queries.
- Edel Kennedy
