A federal building near Ottawa has twice tested positive for bacteria that can cause deadly legionnaires’ disease -- although officials doubt anyone has been infected.
Legionella was first detected in April inside the cooling system of the Phase III building at Place du Portage in Gatineau, Que.
The government building, completed in 1978, houses an estimated 4,500 workers. Its main tenant is Public Works and Government Services Canada.
Maintenance was completed to rid the system of bacteria after the initial discovery, but the bacteria was detected a few days ago at an even higher level.
Nonetheless, PWGSC official Andy Smith says that risk of anyone contracting the disease is low and that he will shut down the building immediately if it poses a health risk.
More maintenance is being performed, more testing will be done and cooling fans have been shut down in the meantime to prevent the bacteria from spreading.
Legionnaires’ was named after an outbreak that killed 29 people at an American Legion Convention in Philadelphia in 1976. The disease can lead to deadly pneumonia.
Symptoms may include fever, cough, muscle pain and headache, and start within two to 14 days of infection, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Although Legionella is common in lakes and rivers, it only poses a risk in more concentrated amounts, according to PHAC.
Air conditioning systems in large buildings sometimes concentrate the bacteria and release contaminated droplets into the air.
An outbreak sickened more than 300 people and killed at least seven near Lisbon, Portugal last year. A cooling tower at a fertilizer plant is thought to have been the cause.
In 2012, 14 people died and more than 180 fell ill during an outbreak at a Quebec City labour federation office building.
The average number of reported cases of legionnaires’ disease is generally fewer than 100 per year, according to PHAC, but the agency says the real number may be much higher.
With a report from CTV Ottawa
