ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, January 22, 1997 TAG: 9701220036
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MARK CLOTHIER STAFF WRITER
A Legionnaires' Disease expert praised state health department investigators. "But in my opinion, they didn't look deep enough," he said.
A Legionnaires' disease expert this week questioned the scope and conclusions of the investigation into last fall's New River Valley outbreak.
Dr. Victor Yu, chief of the Infectious Disease Section and Microbiology lab at the Pittsburgh Veterans Affairs Medical Center, addressed a group of microbiologists, infectious disease specialists and epidemiologists Monday night at a Blacksburg hotel and Tuesday morning in Salem.
The New River Valley outbreak in October killed two men and sickened at least 14 people. A 22-day investigation pinned the source of the outbreak to a since-removed hot tub display at the Christiansburg Lowe's, a home improvement store.
Yu had nothing but praise for the job state health department investigators performed in isolating the source. "But in my opinion, they didn't look deep enough," he said.
"I'm just raising some other options. That doesn't mean they're wrong. The lesson is: don't be too complacent about what we think we know about Legionnaires' disease," Yu said.
Dr. Jody Hershey, who helped run the investigation as director of the New River Health District, said Yu's theories don't change his department's hot-tub source conclusion.
"We have a solid epidemiological study, and we also have the DNA match," Hershey said. "How can you argue with that? He's just trying to challenge people to think outside the circle."
Yu, 54, is one of the intellectual fans trying to blow the winds of change concerning Legionella bacteria transmission. Hershey said Yu is considered controversial and flamboyant by the medical community.
For example, it's commonly considered that the water-based bacterium is spread when it becomes airborne, such as through an air-handling system.
The 1976 outbreak among American Legion conventioneers in Philadelphia that killed 34 people - and gave the disease its name - was traced to a cooling tower in a hotel air-conditioning system that was spraying contaminated water.
But Yu disagrees. His opinion is that the bacteria is spread through drinking water, even in the infamous Philadelphia case. From there it grows in the throats of those most susceptible - generally older males with existing medical conditions - and is more or less breathed into the lungs.
He has made his controversial case in medical journal articles but has never proved it. Still, he said he likes to raise possibilities, things other might want to consider in the future.
"It's easier to blame one source than to confront the idea of drinking water," Yu said. "But that shouldn't cause panic. Healthy people are still OK; it's still the same group that's at risk."
LENGTH: Medium: 57 linesby CNB