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A cooling tower at the Toronto Transit Commission’s (TTC) Hillcrest Complex is the source of a recent legionnaire’s disease outbreak in the city, according to Toronto Public Health (TPH).
The environmental samples collected from the cooling tower matched a clinical sample from a confirmed case of the disease, a health official said in a TPH news release Tuesday.
Public health officials announced last week they were investigating an outbreak of six cases in a one-kilometre radius of the intersection of Bathurst and Dupont streets. Officials said the cases involved people who live, work in or visited the area and that they developed symptoms between July 2 and July 26.
There were no deaths among those cases, TPH said in its Tuesday release.
WATCH | What you need to know about legionnaire’s disease:
Toronto Public Health confirms 6 cases of legionnaires’ disease in Bathurst, Dupont area
Public health officials in Toronto say they are investigating another outbreak of legionnaires’ disease, with six confirmed cases spanning about a one-kilometre radius of the intersection of Bathurst and Dupont streets. CBC’s Kelda Yuen asked infectious diseases specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch to break down what you need to know.
TPH worked closely with the TTC throughout the investigation, the release said.
“The affected cooling equipment was taken offline as soon as it was identified, and remediation measures are being undertaken in accordance with public health guidance,” Dr. Shima Shakory, TPH associate medical officer of health, said in the release.
TPH has identified a possible epidemiological link between this outbreak and a previous outbreak at Castleview Wychwood Towers Long-Term Care Home, as both occured in the same area at the same time, according to the update.
There were five confirmed cases at the long-term care home. No new cases have been reported at there.