A WORKER at a York bus company has been struck down with a rare and potentially deadly infection.

First York said the employee was diagnosed with legionnaires’ disease last week. They were left unable to work when they began suffering with an illness originally believed to be pneumonia.

The worker, who is not one of the firm’s drivers, is being treated in hospital, as environmental health teams and the Health and Safety Executive try to trace the source of the infection.

Ian Humphreys, managing director for First in York, said: “A First non-driving member of staff reported off work sick with suspected pneumonia.

“The Health and Safety Executive then advised us last week this member of staff was suffering from legionnaires’ disease. Even though there was no evidence any such illness had been contracted at work, we took swift and decisive action.

“We fully co-operated with the relevant health agency to ensure we were following correct procedures to deal with an isolated cause of this non-contagious illness. There is no evidence to suggest our depot is the source of any such illness.”

Dr Simon Padfield, a consultant in communicable disease control at North Yorkshire and the Humber Health Protection Unit, said members of the public should not be worried.

He said: “Legionnaires’ disease is a bacterial disease and the route of infection is by breathing in the bacteria that have been dispersed into the air in aerosol form, which are small water droplets which evaporate very quickly, from a contaminated water source,” he said.

“Person-to-person spread does not occur, so there is no risk to others from a person with the infection. We are working closely with environmental health officers at City of York Council and health and safety colleagues at the Health and Safety Executive to investigate any possible sources of infection.

“At this stage, the source has not been identified. We are currently not aware of any further possibly linked cases.”

Even among fit young people, the legionnaires’ disease mortality rate is ten per cent, with the bacteria being less responsive to antibiotics than other illnesses. It is often found in air- conditioning systems or showers with poor plumbing. About 200 cases are reported each year in England.