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The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION

Legionnaires' disease kills Quebec City woman; 14 others affected in outbreak

By: The Canadian Press

Posted: 08/3/2012 11:34 AM | Comments: 0 | Last Modified: 08/3/2012 11:57 AM

This 2009 colorized 8000X electron micrograph image shows a large grouping of Gram-negative Legionella pneumophila bacteria. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Janice Haney Carr

QUEBEC - An elderly person has died from Legionnaires' disease during a Quebec City outbreak that has caused 14 other cases.

Authorities suspect the cause might be the air-conditioning system in a large public building — although they haven't identified the building yet.

The regional public-health authority has sent a notice to the owners of all large buildings within a 1.5-kilometre area to clean their cooling towers.

It believes the bacteria that causes Legionnaires' developed in the stagnant water in one of those towers, connected to the air-conditioning system.

Legionnaires' disease is contracted by breathing in small droplets of water contaminated with the Legionella bacteria. The symptoms are similar to those of flu, including coughs, fever and chills.

The disease is not contagious and cannot be transmitted from one person to another. It presents little or no risk to most people, although elderly people are more vulnerable.

Radio-Canada reports that the victim is an 88-year-old woman.

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