Costa Blanca
Regional government bans tarmacking in Alcoy over Legionnaire's Disease fears
By m.p. - Oct 29, 2009 - 12:24 PM
email this article
EFE archive
Machinery used to resurface the streets could be the source of the 2nd outbreak the town has suffered this year
The Generalitat de Valencia’s health department has refused permission to the Town Hall in Alcoy to tarmac three streets in the Santa Rosa district, amid suspicions that the machinery used in the tarmacking is the source of the two outbreaks of Legionnaire’s Disease this year.
The health department say the first outbreak this summer, which affected 11 people and killed an 83 year old man, was traced to spring water used by the machinery working in the Santa Rosa area.
The source of the second outbreak last month, which affected 22 people, has to be definitively identified, but the Legionella bacteria was detected in one of the machines being used to tarmac the streets.
The health department has yet to confirm how long their prohibition will remain in place, although it’s understood from Diario Información that a meeting with Town Hall representatives was due to take place this Thursday.