Legionnaires outbreak claims third victim
A third person died today following the outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease in Cumbria, health officials said.
Georgina Somerville, 54, of Barrow, died at Furness General Hospital after being admitted last week.
An 88-year-old man and a 56-year-old woman have already died from the killer bug following the outbreak.
There have been 125 confirmed cases since the outbreak was identified on August 2.
Ian Cumming, chief executive of Morecambe Bay Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Our thoughts and deepest sympathy go out to the family of this lady who were with her when she died.
“Legionnaires’ Disease is a very serious condition with a high in-hospital mortality rate.
“Furness General Hospital continues to see a reduction in new cases, but as this tragic death shows, we are by no means through this terrible time.”
The source of the outbreak is believed to have been the council-run Forum 28 Arts Centre in the centre of the coastal town.
Tests on a 30-year-old air conditioning system found traces of the Legionella bacteria, which causes the disease, in the water treatment plant.
A council worker has been suspended.
The pneumonia-like illness has also claimed the lives of great-grandfather Richard Macaulay, 88, and mother-of-two Wendy Millburn, 56, both from Barrow.
More than 60 people today remained in hospital undergoing treatment. The condition of three people remain a “cause for concern”, said a hospital spokesman.
