Lethal bug found on hospital campus

Bacteria involved in a fatal outbreak of legionnaires disease has been found at the Christchurch School of Medicine, despite the school's repeated denials.

Twice in the past five days, the school denied that the culprit strain of legionella had been found in its building on the Christchurch Hospital campus.

But the school conceded yesterday that the strain found in 19 patients had been identified at two locations within the school.

The bacteria find is significant because it raises another potential source for the outbreak, which has killed three people.

A respected medical microbiologist is calling for a thorough investigation, given the school's proximity to the hospital, which some victims had visited.

One positive test result for the relevant strain - legionella pneumophilia serogroup 1 - was found in the school's cafeteria, Cafe Medici, where campus visitors can go for tea or coffee. The other was in a hose in a restricted part of the building.

Already, a Hornby cooling tower owned by fertiliser company Ravensdown has been publicly outed as a possible source of the outbreak, which it strongly denies.

The Canterbury Medical Officer of Health, Dr Alistair Humphrey, was not told about the latest finds at the medical school, until he went looking for them on Tuesday.

He was then told about the find in the cafe but was unaware of the hose contamination until told on Tuesday night.

He believed the samples were taken last month.

There was no legal obligation for the medical school to notify its findings, Dr Humphrey said.

He was informed about an earlier find of a different legionella strain in a cooling tower at the school.

"I am happy that they have reported the results that, in any way, may be of significance," said Dr Humphrey.

He has requested a copy of the ESR's test results. The school ignored repeated requests for copies of its test results, so they could be independently verified.

As late as Monday, the school was denying the outbreak strain had been found on its premises.

- NZPA