UK: Public and environmental health experts investigating the legionnaires' disease outbreak at Stoke-on-Trent believe they have traced the probable source to a hot tub.
Investigations by the Health Protection Agency have found a DNA link between the unusual strain of legionella found in the patients and a hot tub based at the JTF Warehouse in City Road, Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent.
Dr Sue Ibbotson, regional director, Health Protection Agency West Midlands said: 'We have identified the probable source of the legionnaires' disease outbreak in Stoke. We have the evidence from DNA fingerprinting of samples from the hot tub and the patients being caused by the same previously unseen strain of legionella. The HPA also took detailed histories from the confirmed cases and we know that 17 of the 18 confirmed cases visited this warehouse in the two weeks before they fell ill.'