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| | | | |  | Legionella bacteria most commonly causes one of two diseases: A mild illness known as Pontiac fever; and legionnaires' disease, a type of severe pneumonia. (The Canadian Press) | | | Why is it so hard to find the source of a legionnaires' outbreak? | Jennifer La Grassa | It took months of mapping cases, dozens of locations sampled and weeks of lab sequencing to determine the likely culprit behind a recent outbreak of legionnaires' disease in London, Ont. — one that killed four people and infected about 100 others. It's just the latest example of why it's so difficult to pinpoint where the illness is spreading from. Last week, health officials with the Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) said the likely source of the outbreak was the cooling towers of a local meat-processing plant in the city's east end. Health officials also determined the facility was likely linked to another outbreak last year that left two people dead and 30 others sick. And in New York's Harlem neighbourhood this summer, it also took weeks of meticulous searching to identify the cause of a legionnaires' outbreak there, now linked to cooling towers from a hospital and a nearby construction site. When it comes to tracking down the source of a legionnaires' outbreak, experts say there's a number of challenges standing in the way — from sampling potential sources to actually testing for the bacteria. "It's been shown that a source for an outbreak for legionella isn't found in 50 per cent of cases," said Dr. Joanne Kearon, the MLHU's associate medical officer of health. "It's not like a food outbreak … where all of these people may have been in one place and have been exposed in the same place. They may have all actually been exposed in different places, [because] legionella travels in the air." A source has gone undetected in past outbreaks in Canada, including ones in recent years in Quebec and New Brunswick. | | |  | Workers are shown cleaning out the cooling towers of Sofina Foods Inc., a meat-processing plant in London, Ont., that was determined to be the source of a legionnaires' outbreak. The company is working with local health officials and had chemically disinfected the cooling towers earlier this summer. (CBC News) | Bacteria causes 'atypical pneumonia'
Legionella bacteria are naturally found in freshwater, like lakes and streams, as well as soil. Typically, the amount of bacteria in the environment isn't enough for people to get sick, according to the U.S.-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The bacteria becomes problematic when it grows in standing water of human-made systems, such as cooling towers, water tanks, even swimming pools or hot tubs. If the contaminated water gets sprayed or misted into the air and people breathe it in, that's when they can get sick.
Some people will get a mild sickness, called Pontiac fever, which usually includes symptoms of fever and headache, and often goes away on its own.
Legionnaires' disease is a more severe form of the respiratory illness that shows up as an "atypical pneumonia" and usually impacts older people with weakened immune systems, said Dr. Philippe Lagacé-Wiens, a medical microbiologist at St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg.
"You'll find patches usually on both lungs, which is again, unusual," said Lagacé-Wiens, who is also an assistant professor at the University of Manitoba.
Symptoms of legionnaires include shortness of breath, fever, cough, phlegm, and sometimes muscle aches and diarrhea, he said. The sickness is not transmitted from person to person.
"People with weakened immune systems can actually have a pretty serious illness and actually end up in the intensive care unit," he said.
Read more on why it's so tough to solve the medical mystery of legionnaires' disease. | | | Florida is ending vaccine mandates. What do Canadian travellers need to know? | | |  | Major attractions like Walt Disney World in Orlando draw millions to Florida each year. With the state ending vaccine mandates, doctors are urging travellers to check their vaccination status heading south. (Octavio Jones/Reuters) | With its sunny weather, sandy beaches and amusement parks, Florida draws millions of visitors each year, including 3.4 million Canadians in 2024, according to the state's last count.
But in light of its plan to end vaccine mandates, doctors say visitors should be vigilant about diseases like measles, whooping cough and polio before visiting the Sunshine State.
The move, announced by Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo, has been widely panned by health organizations.
The Canadian Medical Association and the American Medical Association are calling on Florida to reverse its plan, saying childhood vaccines prevent illness and save lives.
Read more from CBC's Jennifer Yoon on what doctors want Canadians to know before flying south.
| | | Cross-Canada health news from CBC |  | Alberta girl awarded damages in lawsuit over infection leading to quadruple amputation | CBC Edmonton | | | | | PHAC cutting hundreds of jobs as part of 'post-pandemic recalibration' | CBC Politics | | | | | Ontario's top doctor says province needs to modernize vaccine registry, calls for national schedule | CBC Toronto | | | | |  | | Should Canada ban high-caffeine energy drink sales for kids under 16? | | 2:40 | | | | | THE NATIONAL | VIDEO | England is moving to ban high-caffeine energy drink sales to kids under 16, citing health risks and rising youth consumption. Canada's public health agency says its current rules, like warning labels and marketing limits, are enough. | | | | | Trending research | | | | | | | Lewy body dementia promotion by air pollutants | Science | | | | | THE BIG NUMBER | 523 | | The World Health Organization updated its list of essential medicines this week, bringing the total number to 523 for adults and 374 for children. The list is a catalogue of the drugs the WHO believes should be available in all functioning health systems. This year, it added GLP-1 drugs to treat diabetes, as well as medications for cystic fibrosis and cancer. | | | | | Stories we found interesting this week | | | | Top adviser to Carney and Liberal Party strategist Tom Pitfield has ties to Big Tobacco, sources say | The Globe and Mail | | | | | The Implants Were Supposed to Dissolve. They Didn't | Bloomberg | | | | | | | | |  | Sept. 4
What should I know about asking ChatGPT for health advice?
As a growing number of Canadians use AI, physician groups like the Ontario Medical Association are warning against turning to AI for medical help. Family physician Dr. Danielle Martin explains how AI chatbots can be useful, but risky when it comes to personal medical advice.
Play on CBC Listen | | | |  | Sept. 6-7
Public pain, private care: Why one woman is paying to walk again
How much would you be willing (and able) to pay to get your knee or hip replaced? Calgarian Linda Slater's knee pain became unbearable during her two-year wait to see an orthopedic surgeon — so she drained her retirement savings to pay $30,000 for a new knee at a private Toronto clinic. Dr. Rick Zarnett, an orthopedic surgeon who works out of both a private clinic and public hospital, says the system needs to improve so patients can get surgery sooner.
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