Second victim dies from legionella in Melbourne – as urgent warning is issued over worst outbreak in 20 years

A man has died from Legionnaires’ disease in Melbourne as the city of Victoria struggles with its worst outbreak in 20 years.

The man, in his 60s, contracted the disease on July 27 and died in hospital on Sunday.

His death follows the death of a woman in her 90s last Tuesday.

Victoria’s chief public health officer Clare Looker said the situation appeared to be stabilising.

“We have certainly seen a decline in the rate at which reports are coming in and certainly a clustering of those symptoms and signs from those earlier dates,” she told the Herald Sun.

‘Hopefully we’ll see the tail end of the story.’

The number of confirmed or suspected cases currently stands at 77.

It is the highest number of cases since the deadly outbreak at the Melbourne Aquarium in 2000, which infected at least 125 people and left four dead.

A man has become the second Melbourne resident to die from Legionella disease as Victoria grapples with its worst outbreak in 20 years (stock image)

Elizabeth Hartland, director of the Hudson Institute of Medical Research, said the next few days would be crucial.

“This is a very serious outbreak for Australia, with such large numbers of people,” she said.

Ms Hartland said the outbreak came at an unusual time in winter because air conditioners – where the disease often grows – were not used as much.

She added that the number of hospital admissions (59 out of 60 confirmed cases at the time) was also abnormally high.

“Either they have had a very large dose of the bacteria, so there is a heavy infection, or there is something naturally more virulent about this particular strain of Legionella,” Ms Hartland said.

Health authorities are currently testing a number of cooling towers around Derrimut and Laverton North in the hope of finding the source of the outbreak.

The disease is a serious form of pneumonia caused by the Legionella bacteria (see picture) that infects a person who inhales microscopic water droplets containing the bacteria

Victoria’s chief health officer, Clare Looker (pictured), believes the bacteria grew on a water cooler on top of a building in Derrimut or Laverton North and spread ‘several kilometres’ away

Researchers have concluded that the two suburbs are possible locations for the outbreak, with people living “up to a few kilometers” away potentially infected.

The Bureau of Meteorology has been called in to help investigate whether weather played a role in the dramatic spread of the disease.

Ms Looker suspects one of the 42 towers is responsible for the sudden increase in cases, but she cannot say for sure because testing can take up to 10 days.

More than 100 towers across a wider range could be tested in the coming days, but initial testing will be carried out at ‘highest priority’ locations.

Ms Looker said there was a “high probability” the infected tower had already been decontaminated by health officials “based on some very compelling epidemiological data”.

Ms Looker said an earlier investigation into the recent Derrimut factory fire was “quite unlikely”.

Legionnaires’ disease attacks the lungs, making it especially dangerous for the elderly, smokers and people with weak immune systems (stock image)

The disease is a serious form of pneumonia caused by a bacterium called legionella.

In most cases, the disease can be attributed to inhaling microscopic water droplets containing the bacteria. Rarely, the disease is transmitted from person to person.

Legionella has been associated with the growth of cooling towers, air conditioning units, hot water tanks, water features, drinking water, swimming pools and hot tubs.

People over 40, smokers and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to experience more severe symptoms of the disease.

“Legionnaires’ disease can cause a chest infection with symptoms such as fever, chills, cough, headache and muscle aches,” the state health department said in a statement.

‘Other atypical symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and confusion.’

People who live, work or have been in the Melbourne metropolitan area and are showing symptoms are urged to seek medical attention and get tested as soon as possible.

More to come.