Legionnaires' case found at club

A case of Legionnaires' disease has been confirmed at a health club.

The pool and spa at Springs Club, off Wessington Way, Sunderland, were closed last week after 49 people were taken ill with a flu-like bug, Pontiac Fever.

Now the Health Protection Agency has confirmed that a man linked to the club is suffering from the more serious pneumonia-like Legionnaires' disease.

But a spokeswoman stressed he is on the road to "recovery". The legionella bug causes both illnesses.

The pool and spa area of the club in Castletown is still closed as experts investigate the cause of the outbreak.

Contaminated mist

Dr Kirsty Foster of the Health Protection Agency said: "It's really important to stress that all the reports of illness which we believe to be linked to the outbreak occurred before the spa pool was closed and these people are now recovering.

"For this reason we do not believe there to be any on-going health risk but we are continuing to investigate the incident so that the necessary steps can be taken to prevent it happening again."

A spokeswoman for the Agency said the affected man had been in hospital but was now recovering at home.

Legionnaires' disease is fatal in approximately 5% to 15% of cases.

It is most often contracted by inhaling contaminated mist from water sources such as whirlpool baths, showers, and cooling towers.

Pontiac Fever is a far milder form of Legionnaires' disease and symptoms last between two and five days.

Experts from the Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust and Sunderland City Council are also helping to investigate the outbreak.