Legionella bug found at hotel

Published on Thursday 31 March 2011 17:18

Health officials investigating a potential outbreak of Legionnaire's disease at a Dundee hotel confirmed yesterday that legionella bacteria had been identified in samples taken from the leisure club.

NHS Tayside also revealed that more than 100 guests and staff at the Landmark Hotel, on the outskirts of the city, had experienced flu-like symptoms over the past few weeks.

One man being treated in hospital for the disease after visiting the hotel's leisure club is understood to be in a stable condition.

The club has been closed to the public since 17 March and there have been no further confirmed cases of Legionnaire's disease.

NHS Tayside said this week that many of the people who had fallen ill might have been suffering from Pontiac fever, a milder flu-like illness caused by exposure to legionella bacteria.

A health authority spokeswoman said yesterday: "NHS Tayside Health Protection Team and Dundee City Council environmental health officers can now confirm that legionella bacteria have been identified in samples taken from the leisure club at Landmark Dundee.

"Teams are continuing to work closely with the hotel to advise of all the appropriate steps that need to be taken on the site."

She added: "A single confirmed case of Legionnaire's disease in a person who visited the hotel's leisure club continues to be treated in Ninewells Hospital, Dundee. There are no further confirmed cases of Legionnaire's disease.

"The NHS Tayside Health Protection Team is continuing to investigate a large number of cases of flu-like illness, specifically a respiratory infection, in members of staff and visitors to the Landmark Dundee."

There are more than 500 cases of Legionnaire's disease reported in the UK each year, and one in ten of them proves fatal.