Two people in Melbourne have died from Legionnaires' disease, with health authorities still searching for the source of the outbreak that has hospitalized dozens.
The victims include a man in his 60s and a woman in her 90s. The total number of cases in Melbourne has reached 77, with 75 requiring hospitalization. However, Chief Health Officer Clare Looker reported on Sunday that the outbreak may be slowing down.
Authorities have narrowed the likely source to water cooling towers on industrial buildings in the suburbs of Laverton North and Derrimut. Testing has been conducted on 54 of around 100 cooling towers in the area, and health authorities have requested the latest test results from operators of around 1,000 cooling towers across Melbourne.
Dr. Looker believes the slowing rate of new cases suggests the source of the outbreak might already have been neutralized. "There may have been colonization of a unit that then subsequently cleared," she said.
Legionnaires' disease is caused by the Legionella bacteria, which can be found in natural bodies of water, spas, and some water cooling systems. Authorities urge anyone who has visited Melbourne since mid-July to seek medical advice if they experience symptoms of a chest infection alongside fever, chills, cough, and headaches.
The disease is not spread through person-to-person transmission. The current outbreak is the largest since an outbreak of 125 cases at Melbourne Aquarium in 2000.