August 14, 2002—An outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in the UK has claimed its first victim, with 47 further confirmed cases and up to 15 other people suffering with similar symptoms. The outbreak, believed to have emanated from the Forum 28 complex in the Barrow-in-Furness area, has been attributed to poor maintenance of the air conditioning system in the complex. Presence of the Legionella bacteria was confirmed in the steam pumped from the air conditioning unit into a public passageway outside. The outbreak is under investigation by local police and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Based on a report from the Workplacelaw Network
