Showerhead Legionella Victim Named
By Lucy Rodgers, PA News
04 March, 2004

A cancer patient who died of Legionnaires’ disease traced to a showerhead in a hospital building was named today.

Daryl Eyles, 37, contracted a strain of the bacteria Legionella typically found in people with compromised immune systems, such as those suffering from cancer.

The Royal United Hospital (RUH) in Bath, where Mr Eyles was being treated, was forced to move another 12 high risk cancer patients from a specialist ward after the bacteria, which leads to the disease, was traced to a showerhead in a nearby private room.

A further two of the most vulnerable patients with compromised immune systems on the William Budd Oncology Ward were moved to hospitals in Bristol.

None has so far shown any signs of contracting the disease, a rare form of pneumonia which affects water supplies, the hospital has said.

On Tuesday, RUH chief executive Mark Davies confirmed that a post-mortem examination of Mr Eyles, who died on February 13, revealed he had traces of the bug.

Today, the University of Bath, where Mr Eyles worked as a security officer, paid tribute to its former employee.

A spokesman said: “The University of Bath would like to express its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Daryl Eyles who died recently.

“Mr Eyles worked as a security officer for the university for almost four years and was a loyal and conscientious member of its staff.”

The hospital today confirmed the ward will remain closed until the Health Protection Agency, which tackles outbreaks of infectious diseases, gives the go ahead for it to be reopened and further tests are completed.

Legionella bacteria are constantly present in the environment and there are approximately 300 cases of Legionella infection in Britain each year.

People can be infected by the bacterium by breathing in contaminated water vapour.

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