Legionnaires’ bug closed centre
Thursday, 19 January 2012
THE temporary closure of Carrickfergus leisure centre in December was prompted by the discovery of legionella bacteria which causes the potentially deadly legionnaires disease, it has emerged.
The Amphitheatre leisure centre closed for several days in the first week of December for what Carrick
Council called a "deep cleanse" operation after the discovery of a "harmful organism".
However, it has only now emerged that the harmful organism was legionella bacteria. The leisure centre reopened on 8 December after the cleaning operation.
Legionnaires' disease is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia which has symptoms similar to flu.
People can catch Legionnaires' disease by inhaling small droplets of water suspended in the air, which contain the bacteria.
The Health and Safety Executive Northern Ireland (HSENI) is currently investigating how legionella bacteria came to be present in the leisure centre's water system and issued Carrick Council with an 'improvement notice' to remove the health threat.
A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive told the Advertiser: "HSENI can confirm that an improvement notice was issued in respect of the assessment of risk arising from legionella bacteria in hot and cold water systems within the Amphitheatre leisure centre.
“HSENI cannot comment further on the investigation regarding the Amphitheatre leisure centre and cannot state at this stage what the outcome of the investigation will be."
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