Legionnaires' kills 2 more, infects 104 in Quebec City
CBC News
Posted: Aug 26, 2012 12:50 PM ET
Last Updated: Aug 27, 2012 12:20 PM ET
Quebec's public health authority announced that Legionnaires' disease had caused two more deaths and infected two other people since Saturday.
To date, 104 people have contracted the disease in Quebec City since July 31st. So far, eight people have died from complications related to the illness.
The bacteria tends to grow in stagnant water and can be found in cooling towers and fountains.
On Saturday, regional director of public health François Desbiens said 89 cooling towers have been inspected and disinfected in Quebec's Lower Town, an area considered at high risk. It's the oldest part of the city — a long swathe of historic buildings below the famed Chateau Frontenac hotel.
He announced more cooling towers, including the ones that were already cleared, would be inspected and cleaned out on Monday and Tuesday. Authorities have expanded the perimeter and will investigate units outside of the Lower Town.
The crisis was discussed on Saturday during the Liberal Party and the Parti Québécois' daily campaign stops.
Both parties mentioned a report that was filed in 1997 that offered a series of recommendations to the Quebec government after a Legionnaires' outbreak that took place a year earlier.
The Liberals blamed the PQ, who was in power at the time, for failing to follow the report's guidelines.
On Friday, Quebec Mayor Régis Labeaume said Quebec's provincial government had not introduced adequate measures to take care of the outbreak.
Labeaume said rules would be tightened to prevent such situations in the future and that a registry of cooling towers would be kept from now on.
The new rules, expected to be enacted this fall, will also require more maintenance of cooling towers.
Share Tools
Latest Montreal News Headlines
- Montreal politicians debate city council size — again
- A proposal put forward by Coalition Avenir Québec leader François Legault to reduce the number of city councillors as a way of dealing with municipal corruption is being met with caution. more »
- Elijah Harper's daughter overwhelmed by condolences
- Elijah Harper's daughter, Holly, said she was touched by the outpouring of sympathy and condolences for her father, as hundreds of Manitobans lined up at the Manitoba Legislature to pay their respects. more »
- 4-year-old girl attacked by dog in l'Assomption
- A 4-year-old girl is in stable condition at Ste-Justine hospital after being attacked by a dog Monday morning. more »
- Patrick Roy to be named Avalanche head coach: report
- Patrick Roy is reportedly on the verge of being the next head coach of the Colorado Avalanche, according to a report on the Denver Post's website Monday night that cited brother Stephane Roy as the source. more »
Must Watch
Top News Headlines
- Oklahoma tornado recovery work begins after dozens killed
- Rescue teams searched through the night in hopes of finding survivors after dozens of people were killed in a tornado16 kilometres south of Oklahoma City that flattened two elementary schools and many homes, but efforts increasingly turned to recovery work.
more »
- Will alleged Rob Ford video overshadow Toronto casino debate?
- A debate about a proposed downtown casino is supposed to take centre stage at Toronto City Hall on Tuesday, but it seems a safe bet that a still-unseen video of Mayor Rob Ford will continue to be a topic of conversation. more »
- Harper to address Tory caucus amid Senate scandal
- Conservatives gathered Monday night to mourn the passing of a key architect in their rise to power — and to brace for the toughest test Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government has faced since taking office on a promise to clean up politics in the national capital. more »
- Keith Boag: Have you heard about the murderous abortion doctor?
- The gruesome trial and murder conviction of Philadelphia abortion provider Dr. Kermit Gosnell is unlikely to change American abortion law, Keith Boag writes. But it has U.S. journalists questioning their priorities and how they cover such a sensitive issue. more »
- Fearful Oklahoma families search for children
- The parents and guardians stood in the muddy grass outside a suburban Oklahoma City church, listening intently as someone with a bullhorn called out the names of children who were being dropped off — survivors of Monday's deadly tornado. more »
Most Viewed/Commented
- Quebecer dead in Mexico after scuba diving incident
- 4-year-old girl attacked by dog in l'Assomption
- Woman arrested in LaSalle stabbing
- New fake-RCMP computer scam fools Canadians
- Mohawk Girls series tells stories of once 'voiceless' women
- Luka Magnotta trial date set for fall 2014
- Fire destroys historic church in Eastern Townships
- Apartment fire kills 1 in Rivière-des-Prairies
- Construction hotspots to avoid on May long weekend

