Health authorities have identified the cooling tower at the centre of a legionnaires' outbreak that has killed two people and hospitalised 75 others.
The source of Victoria's deadly legionnaires' disease outbreak has been pinpointed, with health authorities confident it has been contained. A cooling tower at Laverton North in Melbourne's west has been identified as the source after dozens of towers in the suburb and neighbouring Derrimut were disinfected. "I am hopeful we've contained the source of the outbreak," Chief Health Officer Clare Looker told reporters on Monday.
"Recent weather patterns could explain the wider than usual dispersal of cases." A man in his 60s and a woman in her 90s died after being caught in the outbreak. There are 77 confirmed cases as of Monday. All have been hospitalised. Legionnaires' disease is caused by the legionella bacteria , found in natural bodies of water, spas, warm water systems, potting mix and artificial systems that use water for cooling.
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