Two South Wales cooling towers have been further closed down as the search continues for the legionnaires disease source around the area.
Around nineteen people have been linked with the outbreak and all have needed hospital treatment. A further four more cases have been invested, with two of the four – a 70-year-old man and a 64-year-old woman – having died.
All of the 10 companies with registered cooling towers and evaporative condensers across the Merthyr Tydfil, Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney area have now been inspected.
Since the outbreak three of the companies have been served improvement notices. A further three premises with non registered cooling towers and/or evaporative condensers have also been identified and visited.
One company – who cannot be named – voluntarily shut down its cooling tower in order for it to be disinfected.
These series of cases are precautionary actions by Public Health Wales after microbiological results on samples taken from the cooling tower proved that legionella bacteria is there. This cooling tower has been confirmed to be operating in accordance with the Approved Code of Practice.
Cooling towers in Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil were not operating in accordance with the Approved Code of Practice. Since this report, the tower has been cleaned and disinfected and is ready to start work again.
Environmental Health Officers working on the case have ensured local residents that samples have been taken from a number of sites to see where the legionella bacterium is present. At the moment not all of the results are in for each of the sites.
Further workplaces have been visited by the officers who are eager to find the source of the spreading bacteria.
Dr Gwen Lowe, head of the outbreak control team and consultant in communicable disease control for Public Health Wales, said, “Our investigations show that there is no single building visited by all the people linked to the outbreak. The sources, or source, are therefore likely to be industrial processes such as cooling towers.
“Environmental health officers and Health and Safety Executive officials have visited and checked all the registered cooling towers in the area under investigation. They have also visited unregistered cooling towers. These investigations continue.
“We have no evidence that the cooling tower is served with a prohibition notice is linked to any cases of legionnaires’ disease. We also have no evidence that the cooling tower which was voluntarily closed on Saturday is linked to any case of Legionnaires’ disease.”
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