SPAIN (BARCELONA) August 16, 2004 - - The sanitary authorities have identified 2 new cases of legionella infection. These 2 cases bring the total number of people affected by the legionellosis outbreak, detected in Vallcarca, a district of Barcelona, to 19. The Public Health Department say that these new cases are men, 55 and 56 years of age, respectively. They presented with the initial symptoms of the disease before 3 Aug 2004.

The maximum incubation time of the disease is between 10 and 12 days and no new cases have been diagnosed during the past 10 days, so the health authorities think that the outbreak will be soon under control, although they do not discard the possibility that new cases may be identified.

According to sanitary sources, out of the 19 affected people -- 17 men and 2 women between the ages of 50 and 83 years -- 10 are still in hospital.

Technicians of the Department of Public Health of Barcelona are investigating the possible origin of the infection, and, are awaiting results of analyses of water samples, gathered from the 4 cooling towers of the Vallcarca district, that have since been disinfected preventively.
 
 

*******************************************
Pure Air Control Services

800-422-7873