Legionnaires’ disease scare in Bali: Australian tourists warned

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDJan 19 2011

Commonwealth chief medical officer Jim Bishop has warned Australians who have returned from Bali on an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease on the popular Indonesian resort island. The Australian health authorities knew of 11 cases of Legionnaires’ disease detected in Victorians and Western Australians after holidays in the Kuta area of Bali between August 2010 and January 2011.

Acting chief health officer Andy Robertson said, “The early symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease are typically similar to severe flu-like illness, and may include fever, chills, muscle soreness, headaches, tiredness, reduced appetite and diarrhea, along with dry cough and breathlessness.” Dr. Bishop says any one who has flu-like symptoms such as fever and cough following a trip to the region should visit their GP or take themselves to a hospital emergency department. “There are specific antibiotics available to treat the disease,” he said. “The time between a person’s exposure to the bacteria and becoming sick is usually between two to 10 days,” he added.

At present Indonesian health authorities and the World Health Organization are investigating the outbreak. They are looking at water samples for traces of the disease and had told hotels in the area to disinfect and clean their water supply systems. Legionnaires’ disease is contracted by breathing in very fine droplets of water which contain the bacteria. People most at risk of are those aged over 50, smokers, and anyone whose immune system is suppressed by medication or diseases such as cancer, kidney failure or diabetes.

Bali health authorities however have found no traces of the disease. Tjandra Yoga Aditama, the Health Ministry’s director general for disease control and environmental health said, “We’ve received the reports from the Australian heath officials informing us that some people were infected with Legionnaire’s disease after returning from Bali and they’ve asked us to investigate the possibility of an outbreak.” “Our team has finished its investigation and the results show no signs of the Legionnaire’s disease virus or infection,” he added. Despite the findings, the ministry will disinfect two areas in Bali as a precaution, Tjandra said. Nyoman Sutedja, head of the Bali Health Agency, said his office is working with officials from Sanglah General Hospital and hotel operators to check water installations at several hotels in the Kuta area, where the tourists were believed to have contracted the disease.