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SURREY, BC – Walmart Canada has announced that it has closed one of its stores in Surrey, British Columbia with "great caution" following a small legionella outbreak.
Anika Malik, the company's business director, said in an email that Walmart had been contacted by the health authority who was investigating the source of the disease and chose to voluntarily close its downtown Guildford store.
Fraser Health says that seven cases of respiratory infection have been confirmed in the past two weeks.
The authority identified the bacteria that cause the disease in the cooling towers of the mall and Walmart, but said it did not mean they were the source.
Legionnaires' disease is pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, which can develop and spread in building water systems, such as cooling towers, regularly emptied spas, decorative fountains and large plumbing systems.
Individuals can contract the disease by breathing droplets of water containing the bacteria, although most healthy people do not develop the disease.
The people most at risk of developing pneumonia are the elderly, smokers, people with chronic lung diseases and those with weakened immune systems.
Medical Officer of Health Aamir Bharmal said the health authority had tested samples at the mall and Walmart after some of the patients reported visiting the area.
He said the shopping center and Walmart were attentive to the authority's recommendations to close their cooling towers, carry out thorough cleansings and cures, test and remove the bacteria before reopening the towers.
Fraser Health continues to test samples and interview patients to identify the source of the outbreak, while trying to determine the source, he said.
"We do not suggest at all that people stay away from this mall or stay away from Walmart. They were very receptive to what we told them and they immediately began to clean up. If these are the potential sources, they also minimize the risk by starting this cleanup, "he said.
People who have visited the Guildford area but do not show any symptoms resembling pneumonia do not need to see a doctor.
People with high risk factors who also feel sick are encouraged to consult a doctor and say that they may have been exposed to legionellosis.
Guildford Town Center stated that it had followed Fraser Health's recommendations, was informed that there was no public health problem and that the shopping center was open.
The BC Center for Disease Control says legionella infections are rare in the province, with only 34 cases reported between 1999 and 2008.
If 100 people are exposed to Legionellosis, Public Health Canada has reported that fewer than five people have Legionnaires' disease.
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