Melbourne’s Legionnaires’ disease outbreak spreads to 107 people

A cooling tower in the western suburbs has been confirmed as the source of Melbourne’s deadly Legionnaires’ disease outbreak, with at least 107 cases of the disease now confirmed.

Melbourne’s deadly Legionnaires’ disease outbreak has spread to at least 107 people.

The Department Of Health on Friday said there were now 107 confirmed cases and five suspected cases.

The source of the outbreak – which has killed two people since July 26 – has been identified as a cooling tower in Melbourne’s west.

Chief health officer Dr Clare Looker on Friday confirmed that a cooling tower in Laverton North was the source of the outbreak.

“I am confident that we have identified the source of this outbreak,” she said.

“While the hazard has been controlled and case numbers are decreasing there may be some individuals who have developed symptoms but perhaps not yet come forward for testing.

“If you have symptoms please seek medical advice.”

Victoria's chief health officer Dr Clare Looker confirmed a cooling tower in Laverton North was behind the outbreak. Picture: Nadir Kinani

She was unable to provide an exact location of the tower.

While most cases have been detected in the Derrimut and Laverton North area, Ms Looker said cases had been detected “a number of kilometres” from the site.

She, however, refused to reveal where the cases were identified.

“(There is) a very broad range of exposure sites across Melbourne,” she said.

“When we have a case notified to us we obviously do look at their residential address but then we do quite a comprehensive history looking back over the preceding week or so to understand the sites where that person might have visited.”

Ms Looker said the “broader than usual disbursement” was likely due to recent weather patterns.

The chief health officer said she was “confident we have now reached the peak of cases”.

There have been no further deaths.

Earlier this week Ms Looker confirmed a second person, a man in his 60s, had died after contracting the disease.

Taylors Hill resident Poki Matakovi (left), 62, nearly died last month after contracting Legionnaires. Picture: Tony Gough

It followed the death of a woman in her 90s last month.

Dr Looker said of the 107 people infected 103 had been hospitalised at some stage.

Health authorities are now investigating whether the cooling tower operator had failed to test and disinfect the water.

“We do know that sometimes things can happen mechanically with the cooling tower or the dosing of the disinfectant,” Dr Looker said.

“We don’t have any definitive answers over that at the moment.”

She said authorities were working “very closely” with the owner of the tower and would return to the site to do further testing.

Ms Looker said the tower was “identified early in our investigations” and first visited by authorities on July 30.

“It was disinfected within 24 hours of that visit,” she said.

She said the tower had again been disinfected this week as a precaution.

The outbreak is the largest since an 2000 when 125 people contracted the disease from the Melbourne Aquarium.