Always threatened by the legionnaires ‘ disease

Photo Simon Clark
Solange Allen Desjardins has lost her husband Claude in August 2012. It is one of the 14 people to have died in the outbreak of legionnaires ‘ disease caused by a contaminated cooling tower in the district of Saint-Roch, in Quebec city.

Anne Caroline Desplanques

Thursday, August 3 2017 06:30

UPDATE
Thursday, August 3 2017 06:30

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A new outbreak of life-threatening legionnaires ‘ disease as a threat to the Quebec, five years after that which left 14 people dead and 167 patients at the heart of the national capital.

At the end of last week, there were 73 cases for the whole of the province, including eight in just one month in Three Rivers, four in Granby and two in Sherbrooke.

“It is not flagging “, is concerned the president of the Association of microbiologists of Quebec, Patrick Paquette, considering the increase in the number of outbreaks of legionnaires ‘ disease since the beginning of the summer.

In 2012, Québec had one of the most important outbreaks of legionnaires ‘ disease described in the international scale “, according to the regional director of public health, Dr. François Desbiens.

However, the rules adopted since then are insufficient to protect the public from a new disaster scenario, said Mr. Paquette.

“It is obvious that there must be a breach in the Mauricie region, otherwise we would not have eight cases at Three-Rivers “, writes the scientist.

In Magnus, a company that makes the prevention of the Legionella bacterium by a chemical way, it is estimated that the regulations on cooling towers is not severe enough.

The regulation indicates that an emergency decontamination must be made when the concentration of Legionella pneumophila exceeds one million plaque-forming units of colonies per liter of water. However, in France, the same measures need to be put in place as 100 000 units per litre of water.

Microbiologists excluded

In addition, the specialists of bacteria, microbiologists, are excluded from the control of the cooling towers, ” said Mr. Paquette. The reason is purely administrative : according to the regulation, to intervene on this type of installation, it is necessary to be a member of a college. However, microbiologists are not.

Mr. Paquette explained that, as excluding these scientific system of prevention, one is unable to understand why the bacteria settles and how it does it. We can therefore neither adequately prevent its occurrence or eliminate it effectively.

Legionnaires ‘ disease, he says, are bacteria intelligent, able to protect themselves from chemicals meant to kill them. To do this, they team up with other bacteria and make a real armor, the biofilm, the composition of which varies according to the characteristics of the water.

Several vectors

James Murray, vice-president at Magnus, adds that the current rules of prevention relate only to the cooling towers, while Legionella pneumophila can be installed in distribution systems of drinking water, fountains, and nebulizers and devices for respiratory therapy, among others.

At Three-Rivers, 16 cooling towers in the city have been analyzed and all are considered to be healthy. They would, therefore, not involved in the current outbreak of legionnaires ‘ disease.

Painful memories of the crisis of 2012

The multiplication of the number of cases of legionnaires ‘ disease this summer will bring sad memories to the widow of one of the victims of 2012 prepare a large class action on behalf of the 181 affected families.

“This is pathetic, what’s happening,” said Solange Allen Desjardins. Her husband, Claude, was swept away by the legionnaires ‘ disease on August 19, 2012, just four days after having consulted his family physician for what had all the air of a big flu.

“It was dazzling, blowing out the widow. We went to the emergency on Friday. Around 10-11 pm in the evening, I left it and I’ve never mentioned this before. “

At this time, it is a cooling tower of the Saint-Roch neighbourhood in Quebec city, in charge of the bacteria Legionella, which had dispersed as fine droplets contaminated in the air. It had taken two months to identify it.

“I dare to believe that the authorities have learned their lesson, but honestly, it’s still a big question mark,” said Mrs. Allen Desjardins.

She points out that five years after the crisis of Saint-Roch, the victims always seek the truth and the culprits. “All the world plays the ball back “, she says.

Procedure increased

It would still be required to wait more than a year in order to start the class-action lawsuits, the date has been set for September 2018.

The procedure has recently been increased by the addition of two defendants in the case. Initially, the prosecution sought the director of public Health, the integrated Center for academic health and social services of the National Capital and the Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ), as the owner of the building located on place Jacques-Cartier, where was the tower contaminated.

The CSQ has, however, returned against the two companies to which it had entrusted the maintenance of its tower, Trane Canada UCL and Controls A. C. inc. Both have therefore been added to the list of defendants.

If they are found guilty, all could be ordered to pay millions in damages to the victims and their loved ones. But nothing will bring back Mr. Desjardins. More never, it will never get to attend baseball games with his wife or admire the prowess of his granddaughters to the pool, ” sad Mrs. Allen Desjardins.

What is legionnaires ‘ disease ?

• Lung Infection is serious
• 10 to 15 % of affected individuals die

• 80 % of people at high risk, such as those with a compromised immune system, do not survive

• Caused by inhalation of fine water droplets contaminated by the bacteria Legionella

• Symptoms : fever, chills, cough, difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and delirium, confusion, disorientation and hallucinations

More than 100 cases per year in Quebec

• 254 cases in 2012

• 99 cases in 2013

• 103 cases in 2014

• 156 cases in 2015

• 138 case in 2016

• 73 cases in 2017 (until 27 July)

Source : Ministry of Health and social Services of Quebec