Disease ‘in N.Z.’

Press, 31 March 1980, Page 6

Disease ‘in N.Z.’

PA Wellington New Zealand has seen “a good few dozen” suspected .’cases of Legionnaire’s disease in the, last, year, accordingtoa senior scientist at the National, Health Institute (Dr K. A. Bettelheim). In at least one case the patient died. But none could be definitely diag-. nosed as Legionnaire’s disease. -, ‘ , This was because;: the institute was still gathering the necessary background inforinationonthe disease, Dr Battelheimjiaid. Scientists makeadlag- 1 nosis by doing, tests, on. the antibody level'in the blood. To say a person definitely has the disease. they : must? '< know what .level ; of’ anti--•

bodies is normal for. the New Zealand population.' The institute is /testing hundreds of healthy people to gather information and Dr Bettelheim said • he ' hoped they would be able to make firm' diagnosis within the year. A Wellington’s Medical Officer of Health (Dr Ellie Garden) said on Saturday that a Wellington man had died of the disease , within the last eight weeks. In. August last year authorities said a Welling- . ton man ■ had died the previous month, supposedly from Legionnaire’s disease. ; 1 Dr Bettelheim said, the disease was not a new one, although it had been identified and named only fairly recently. . -. ... •.

According to American research, Legionnaire’s disease comprised about 2 per cent of what were previously considered to be undiagnosed atypical pneumonias. ,

Legionnaire’s disease was first recognised in 1976, when it killed 26 United States former servicemen who had attended a Philadelphia convention.

Doctors do not think the . disease is passed- by human contact. It is thought to be an air-borne disease, and one theory is that it could be transmitted through air-conditioning • units. .

Symptoms are high temperatures, pains in the stomach, chest and eyes, and chills.