By NewsDesk @bactiman63
The Flemish Agency for Health and Safety reported (computer translated) that five of the 17 company cooling towers tested were positive for the bacterium, Legionella. Two companies reported high values of the organism.
Officials remind us that this does not mean that the source of the infection is known. The samples will now be genetically tested.
In the remaining 12 company cooling towers tested–10 were negative and two had different kind than the Legionella pneumophila that made the people sick in this outbreak.
Joris Moonens, spokesperson for Care and Health: “We need to investigate further at these 5 companies whether they are the source of the infection. The 2 companies with higher values are the priority. But it is not because we found a high Legionella value in a one-off sampling that we can be sure that one of these companies is the source of the contamination. To be sure of that, further laboratory research is needed. “
An inspection team will screen the cooling installations and water management in these 5 companies and investigate which factors in management or the environment may have contributed to the formation of Legionella.
To date, 23 L. pneumophila cases have been reported in the outbreak, including two deaths.
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