A recent outbreak of legionnaires’ disease in London, Ontario, which has resulted in four fatalities and hospitalization of nearly 90 individuals, has been traced back to Sofina Foods Inc., a meat-processing plant in the city. The Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) identified the bacterial subtype responsible for the outbreak, linking it to the cooling towers at nine different locations in London, including those at Sofina Foods Inc.
Initially declared over on August 6 after a three-week period with no new cases, the outbreak was redeclared due to the emergence of 25 new cases. Dr. Joanne Kearon, the associate medical officer of health at MLHU, mentioned that despite remediation efforts earlier this year, the bacteria regrew during the warm weather, leading to renewed transmission.
Sofina Foods responded by emphasizing its commitment to safety and cooperation with health authorities to address the findings. The company undertook immediate actions, including deep cleaning and disinfection, and keeping the cooling tower offline until further work is completed to eliminate any risks.
Legionella, the bacteria causing legionnaires’ disease, is typically found in water sources and can be inhaled when aerosolized. The outbreak has resulted in serious pneumonia among 94 residents, with 86 hospitalized and four fatalities. The health unit anticipates more cases due to the bacteria’s incubation period.
The investigation revealed that Sofina Foods was also the likely source of a previous legionnaires’ disease outbreak in the region. Samples from this year’s cases matched the subtype from the previous incident, confirming the connection to the plant. Despite other towers testing positive for legionella, only the subtype from Sofina Foods matched the samples from the outbreak cases.