Rare case of legionnaires' disease killed Pembroke Dock man (From Western Telegraph)

Rare case of legionnaires' disease killed Pembroke Dock man

11:40am Saturday 9th April 2011 in News

The family of a Pembroke Dock man who died from legionnaires’ disease feared he might have contracted the disease from an outbreak in the valleys, an inquest heard last week.

Brian Hague, 70, was treated for severe pneumonia at Withybush Hospital in August 2010 but after his death it was discovered that he actually had the rare airborne legionnaires’ disease.

Mr Hague had been on a fishing trip to the Wye Valley with a friend eight days before his death, leading family members to worry that it was linked to the legionnaires’ disease outbreak in the South Wales valleys around that time.

That was ruled out by the Health Protection Agency, but it was not possible to confirm where Mr Hague had contracted the disease.

The father-of-four had a number of underlying conditions including diabetes and had been treated for heart problems.

Dr Kanthaya Mohnanaruban diagnosed severe pneumonia and Mr Hague was treated with antibiotics but did not respond.

Dr Mohnanaruban asked for advice from consultant microbiologist Dr Martin Sheppard, and it was decided to prescribe another type of antibiotic for atypical pneumonia which would also have treated legionnaires’ disease.

He also recommended testing for legionnaires’ disease, which at the time involved sending a urine sample to Cardiff. This testing has since been brought back to Withybush.

Dr Sheppard said in his 25 years of practice this was only the second case of legionnaires’ disease that he had seen.

Mr Hague’s results did not come back until two days after he died on September 4th but Dr Sheppard said the delay was unlikely to have made any difference to the outcome.

On police advice the family delayed the funeral until a link with the valleys outbreak was ruled out.

Pembrokeshire coroner Mr Mark Layton said: “If, perhaps, a test could have been carried out at Withybush or the results made available sooner then a change in medication would have been undertaken but in Dr Sheppard’s view, on the balance of probability, it would not have made any difference to the outcome.”

He said Mr Hague died of pneumonia brought on by legionnaires’ disease. A verdict of death by natural causes was recorded.