Potting mix linked to legionnaires' disease

Gardeners are being warned to take care with potting mix after five cases of legionnaires' disease in Canterbury in the past three months.

A man in his 60s, with no underlying health problems, had died of the infection, believed to have been contracted in Thailand, Canterbury medical officer of health Ramon Pink said.

He was infected with a strain called legionella pneumophilia that killed three people in Canterbury in 2005.

Potting mix was the likely source of infection in the four other cases, Pink said. Two people had been discharged and another two were still in Christchurch Hospital's intensive care unit, but were expected to recover.

Pink said the five patients were from around the region, including Kaiapoi, Rangiora and central Christchurch.

He said gardeners should take care when opening bags of potting mix or handling compost.

"It is very important to take care to avoid inhaling the dust when opening and handling potting mix," Pink said.

Risk factors included being aged over 50, having a long-term illness and being a smoker.

All five Canterbury cases involved people who were over 50, and three had chronic underlying conditions.

Symptoms of legionnaires' disease include high fever, chest pains and abdominal pain.

In the past year, 15 cases of legionellosis have been notified in Canterbury. Nationally, there were 76 cases notified in 2008, including four deaths.

- © Fairfax NZ News