Blog - Page 2 of 40 - Legionnaires' Disease Lawyer

March 4, 2023 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Multiple Cases of Legionnaires’ Disease at a South Carolina Nursing Home

Multiple Cases of Legionnaires’ Disease at a South Carolina Nursing HomeAccording to a news report, the South Carolina Department of Health isinvestigating a nursing home in Fairfield County, South Carolina for multiple casesof Legionnaires’ disease. According to another news report, the same nursinghome had been fined over $16,000.00 and had 3 infection-related deficiencies,prior to the investigation by the South Carolina Department of Health. South Carolina Nursing Home Update: The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Services hastested the well water at the Ridgeway Manor Healthcare Center in Ridgeway,South Carolina, which came back negative, according to a TV news report.…

January 7, 2023 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Outbreak in Duluth MN

Health authorities have identified two residents of a senior apartment building who have contracted Legionnaires’’ in Duluth. There is concern among the residents that a proper investigation has not been done by the health department. More later.

December 16, 2022 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Issues Posed by Recent Study

A new US government report prepared by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality stated that 250,000 patients a year are misdiagnosed in emergency rooms. Some of these misdiagnoses includes failure to identify pneumonia. Legionnaires’ disease is a form of pneumonia. While failure to properly diagnose Legionnaires’ disease may lead to inappropriate care in the hospital, various other issues from the incorrect diagnosis of Legionnaires’ disease. Legionnaires’ disease is perhaps one of the most under-reported diseases in this country. According to the CDC, there are approximately 25,000 cases of the disease per year. The actual number could be much…

August 1, 2022 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Napa County Health Officials Investigating Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak

Following nine confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ Disease, Napa County health officials have announced they are opening an investigation. County officials have also identified two suspected cases and one “probable” case. All nine cases were reported to Napa County Public Health between July 11 and July 27. So far, all nine individuals have been hospitalized but there have not been any reported deaths, according to the county. The investigation is ongoing. To read more about the Napa County Health Officials Investigating Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak, click here. To read our firm’s white paper on Legionnaires’ disease and COVID-19, click here. For more…

July 18, 2022 zacherlaw 0 Comments

NYC Department of Health Officially Closes Investigation of Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak in The Bronx

Following the diagnosis of 30 confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease in the Highbridge section of the Bronx last month, the City’s Department of Health has officially closed the investigation. Four cooling towers in the Highbridge and Melrose section were found to be the source of the outbreak after they tested positive for the presence of Legionella, the bacteria that cause Legionnaires’ disease. In total, 30 cases were identified. 28 people were hospitalized, 24 have been discharged, and 2 have died. Remediation of the four cooling towers was ordered by the City’s Department of Health in early May. To read more…

July 18, 2022 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Marion County Department of Health to Inspect Hundreds of Pools to Prevent Legionnaires’ Disease

Since 2015, there have been at least 208 illness outbreaks associated with public pools, hot tubs, and water playgrounds according to the CDC. That’s at least 3,646 cases of illness and 13 deaths each year. Among these outbreaks, Legionnaires’ Disease is especially prominent. According to the Marion County Public Health Department, the number is in actuality, difficult to measure, as it’s believed most cases go unreported. The Public Health Department inspects more than 900 private and public pools each year. In fact, according to Michael Furnas, a pool specialist who tests pH levels and disinfectant concentration, estimates that…

June 27, 2022 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Avoiding Germs in Hotel Pools and Hot Tubs

The contents of this blog are based on a recent article in the New York Times, “How to Avoid Nasty Pool Germs This Summer” written by Melinda Wenner Moyer. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), about one-third of known outbreaks between 2015 and 2019 caused by germs in U.S. pools, hot tubs and water parks were traced back to hotels and motels. One theory for why resort pools and hot tubs account for such a large portion of outbreaks is that the person typically responsible for water quality maintenance is also responsible for a variety of other things…

June 20, 2022 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Cooling Tower Linked to 2019 New Brunswick Outbreak Was Not Properly Maintained

Following a 2019 Legionnaires’ disease outbreak that infected 16 people, a newly released report by New Brunswick Public Health says Organigram, the company whose cooling towers were linked to the outbreak, did not regularly clean their cooling towers. The 60-page document states that the company’s facility had two new cooling towers in 2019 that didn’t have a chemical treatment system activated. Further, regular cleanings and disinfecting were not scheduled and there was no documented water safety or maintenance plan. The report further states that 16 confirmed Legionnaires’ disease cases were reported between July 15 and August 27, 2019. Of those…

June 18, 2022 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Health Department Closes Investigation of Highbridge Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak

Following the diagnosis of 30 confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease in the Highbridge section of the Bronx, the Health Department has now closed their investigation due to no new cases being identified in the last four weeks. Overall, 28 people were hospitalized, with 24 having been discharged, and 2 deaths. After investigating the cooling towers in the area for Legionella bacteria, the Health Department’s Public Health Laboratory have found that the source of the outbreak was a cooling tower located at 1325 Jerome Ave, 10452. The building owner was immediately ordered to disinfect the tower and perform additional remediation. To…

June 13, 2022 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Availability Bias and its Relationship with Legionnaires’ Disease and Covid-19

A case study, analyzing how availability bias has affected diagnoses of Covid-19 and Legionella, was recently published and presented a case study of a 56-year-old man who was improperly diagnosed with COVID-19. The patient came in exhibiting many symptoms and diagnostics commonly associated with COIVD-19. Further, he made it known that had had come in contact with confirmed cases of COVID-19 and was deemed to have a high probability of having contracted the disease. Although his COVID-19 tests came back negative three times, due to the powerful effect of anchoring, the diagnosis of COVID-19 remained high. However, on day two…