UKHSA investigating Legionnaires' disease outbreak

Specialists from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) are investigating an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease linked to Rotherham.

The UKHSA said it was "working closely" with Rotherham Council and other partners to find out if and how the "small number of cases" were linked, and investigate potential common sources.

The disease is a severe form of pneumonia typically caught by breathing in droplets of water containing legionella bacteria from sources like air conditioning systems, taps and showers that are not used often.

A spokesperson for Rotherham Council said: "The overall risk to the wider public is considered low, as Legionnaires' disease is not usually spread from person to person."

Dr Andy Irvine, consultant in health protection at UKHSA Yorkshire & Humber, said the outbreak was identified when a higher than usual number of Legionnaires' disease cases were reported in the last month.

He said: "Some of these cases may be isolated incidents with no common source, however we are working to identify any links between cases and potential common sources for public health action.

"For a substantial proportion of Legionnaires' disease cases, the source is not always found."

According to the NHS, symptoms of Legionnaires' disease include a cough, shortness of breath, chest pain or discomfort, a high temperature or flu-like symptoms.

Irvine said anyone experiencing symptoms should call NHS 111 or their GP for medical advice.

He added: "Legionnaires' disease is routinely treated with antibiotics and may require hospital treatment. It is not usually passed from person to person."

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