- 注册
- 2002-10-07
- 消息
- 402,187
- 荣誉分数
- 76
- 声望点数
- 0
The largest Public Service union is angry at how the government has handled recent cases of Legionella contamination in federal government buildings in Ottawa-Gatineau, saying workers should have been told more and told sooner.
This week, workers at the Jean Edmonds Tower at 300 Slater St. in Ottawa were notified a worker in the building that houses Citizenship and Immigration Canada had contracted Legionnaires’ disease, a potentially deadly form of pneumonia caused by the Legionella bacteria. The worker had already recovered fully and the building’s cooling towers tested and disinfected before CIC staff were notified.
“It does alarm me when somebody in a building contracts a disease from an unknown source and they just carry on as if nothing’s going on,” said Bob Kingston, co-chair of the service-wide occupational health and safety committee with the Public Service Alliance of Canada. “To me, that’s unacceptable.
“Everyone in that building should have been notified the second it was learned. Everybody in that building should have been given the option to work from home … until we know what the source was.”
The case is the first incidence of Legionnaires’ disease reported this year to Ottawa Public Health. An investigation couldn’t determine how the person had been infected and a spokesman for Citizenship and Immigration says there’s no evidence to suggest the building is to blame.
Test results from the Jean Edmonds Tower were expected to be received some time Wednesday, but were not immediately available.
News of the infection came the same week that workers at two other federal buildings, Place du Centre at 200 Portage St. in Gatineau, and 30 Victoria St. in Gatineau, learned that routine tests had shown high levels of the Legionella bacteria. The cooling towers at 30 Victoria were disinfected and follow up tests showed bacteria levels back to normal, according to Public Works and Government Services Canada.
At Place du Centre, high levels of Legionella bacteria were found in a 12th floor shower on June 12. The building’s hot water system has been shut down and disinfected. Followup tests were due to be received Thursday.
Legionella: What you need to know
The culprit:
The Legionella bacterium was first identified in 1976 after a mysterious respiratory infection killed 34 American Legion members at a conference in Philadelphia. The bacteria were traced to the hotel’s air conditioning system, which circulated air throughout the building. Researchers later found the same Legionella bacteria were responsible for an outbreak of a flu-like illness two years earlier in Pontiac, Michigan.
Legionella bacteria are ubiquitous and found in nature in lakes and streams and in artificial environments like plumbing systems, hot water tanks, hot tubs and building cooling towers. The bacteria flourishes in warm water, especially hot water systems that aren’t kept hot enough or are poorly maintained.
How it spreads:
The disease is not contagious and can’t be passed from person to person. The bacteria is only dangerous if it becomes airborne and is inhaled. That’s what makes cooling towers a special concern. The systems extract heat through towers in which tiny water drops are sprayed through circulating air. That air is not supposed to mix with the air inside buildings, but can find its way in through breaches in ductwork. Legionella bacteria in the hot water supply can become airborne and inhaled in steam vapour from showers or hot tubs.
People have also been infected by inhaling soil or potting compost that carries Legionella bacteria.
The symptoms:
Legionnaires disease is a serious form of pneumonia that can only be distinguished from other pneumonias by blood tests and bacterial cultures. Legionnaires’ disease and Pontiac fever, together known as Legionellosis, share symptoms that include fever, cough, muscle pain and headaches. Symptoms usually appear from two to 14 days after infection. Most cases are treated by antibiotics.
How common is it?
Legionellosis infections must be reported to public health units. There were two cases of Legionellosis in Ottawa in 2014, down from seven the year before. Provincially, cases of Legionellosis declined to 125 in 2014, well below the five-year average of 161 cases a year.
Who’s at risk?
Smokers, the elderly, pregnant women, people on dialysis and people with compromised immune systems are most at risk of infection.
Related
bcrawford@ottawacitizen.com
twitter.com/getBAC
查看原文...
This week, workers at the Jean Edmonds Tower at 300 Slater St. in Ottawa were notified a worker in the building that houses Citizenship and Immigration Canada had contracted Legionnaires’ disease, a potentially deadly form of pneumonia caused by the Legionella bacteria. The worker had already recovered fully and the building’s cooling towers tested and disinfected before CIC staff were notified.
“It does alarm me when somebody in a building contracts a disease from an unknown source and they just carry on as if nothing’s going on,” said Bob Kingston, co-chair of the service-wide occupational health and safety committee with the Public Service Alliance of Canada. “To me, that’s unacceptable.
“Everyone in that building should have been notified the second it was learned. Everybody in that building should have been given the option to work from home … until we know what the source was.”
The case is the first incidence of Legionnaires’ disease reported this year to Ottawa Public Health. An investigation couldn’t determine how the person had been infected and a spokesman for Citizenship and Immigration says there’s no evidence to suggest the building is to blame.
Test results from the Jean Edmonds Tower were expected to be received some time Wednesday, but were not immediately available.
News of the infection came the same week that workers at two other federal buildings, Place du Centre at 200 Portage St. in Gatineau, and 30 Victoria St. in Gatineau, learned that routine tests had shown high levels of the Legionella bacteria. The cooling towers at 30 Victoria were disinfected and follow up tests showed bacteria levels back to normal, according to Public Works and Government Services Canada.
At Place du Centre, high levels of Legionella bacteria were found in a 12th floor shower on June 12. The building’s hot water system has been shut down and disinfected. Followup tests were due to be received Thursday.
Legionella: What you need to know
The culprit:
The Legionella bacterium was first identified in 1976 after a mysterious respiratory infection killed 34 American Legion members at a conference in Philadelphia. The bacteria were traced to the hotel’s air conditioning system, which circulated air throughout the building. Researchers later found the same Legionella bacteria were responsible for an outbreak of a flu-like illness two years earlier in Pontiac, Michigan.
Legionella bacteria are ubiquitous and found in nature in lakes and streams and in artificial environments like plumbing systems, hot water tanks, hot tubs and building cooling towers. The bacteria flourishes in warm water, especially hot water systems that aren’t kept hot enough or are poorly maintained.
How it spreads:
The disease is not contagious and can’t be passed from person to person. The bacteria is only dangerous if it becomes airborne and is inhaled. That’s what makes cooling towers a special concern. The systems extract heat through towers in which tiny water drops are sprayed through circulating air. That air is not supposed to mix with the air inside buildings, but can find its way in through breaches in ductwork. Legionella bacteria in the hot water supply can become airborne and inhaled in steam vapour from showers or hot tubs.
People have also been infected by inhaling soil or potting compost that carries Legionella bacteria.
The symptoms:
Legionnaires disease is a serious form of pneumonia that can only be distinguished from other pneumonias by blood tests and bacterial cultures. Legionnaires’ disease and Pontiac fever, together known as Legionellosis, share symptoms that include fever, cough, muscle pain and headaches. Symptoms usually appear from two to 14 days after infection. Most cases are treated by antibiotics.
How common is it?
Legionellosis infections must be reported to public health units. There were two cases of Legionellosis in Ottawa in 2014, down from seven the year before. Provincially, cases of Legionellosis declined to 125 in 2014, well below the five-year average of 161 cases a year.
Who’s at risk?
Smokers, the elderly, pregnant women, people on dialysis and people with compromised immune systems are most at risk of infection.
Related
bcrawford@ottawacitizen.com
twitter.com/getBAC
查看原文...
