March 20, 2022 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Ontario Provincial Government Considering Steps to Combat Legionella Growth

The provincial government in Ontario, Canada, is considering steps to thwart the growth of legionella bacteria. The province saw an increase in Legionnaires’ disease cases within the past year, with one outbreak being associated with ten confirmed cases and one potential death. The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is encouraging the province to establish a registry of cooling towers and to require cooling tower sites to establish risk-management plans, a common source of legionella bacteria growth. The health board believes the registry will allow it to save time and resources identifying cooling tower sites, so it can more quickly respond…

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March 15, 2022 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Proposed Pennsylvania Legionnaires’ Disease Legislation

As a result of the substantial increase in Legionnaires’ disease cases in Pennsylvania, state Senators Wayne Fontana (D-42) and Joe Pittman (R-41), in a bipartisan effort, have introduced legislation SB 1125 to help curtail the spread of Legionella bacteria. Legionnaires’ disease is caused by the bacteria genus Legionella. Infection occurs when an infectious dose of the bacteria enters deeply into a susceptible person’s lungs, either by inhaling contaminated aerosolized water droplets, or by aspirating water into the lungs. A Senate Democrat hearing focusing on Legionella was held on May 5, 2021, where expert panelists testified that buildings shut down during the pandemic and…

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March 14, 2022 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Legionnaires’ Disease Cases Rise in the Coachella Valley

There have been 20 confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease in the Coachella Valley between the fall of 2021 and early 2022. 14 of the 20 reported Legionnaires’ disease cases required hospitalization and two resulted in death. The source of the increase in cases remains unknown. County health officials are working with the California Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Geoffrey Leung, a Riverside County Public Health, warned residents in the affected areas to seek medical attention if they experience pneumonia-like symptoms. Despite this warning, Dr. Leung stated that the risk to the…

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March 14, 2022 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Legionnaires’ Disease Cases on the Rise in the U.S.

A new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that cases of Legionnaires’ disease have been increasing since 2003. Incidence of the disease remained stable from 1992 to 2002, with an average of 1,221 reported cases each year. The average number of cases dramatically increased between 2003 to 2018 to 4,369 reported cases each year. The East North Central, Middle Atlantic, and New England regions were most affected by the increase in cases. Additionally, the highest incidence was in Black or African American persons. Increasing racial disparities, geographic focus, and seasonality were most associated with the…

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March 14, 2022 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Poverty Links COVID-19 and Legionnaires’ Disease

Clinicians and public health practitioners at Johns Hopkins University have identified poverty as a hidden link between COVID-19 and Legionnaires’ disease. After investigating the source of an uptick in Legionnaires’ disease cases, the researchers identified poor housing and socioeconomic disadvantage as common denominators between the patients.  Due to low incomes and fewer resources, these communities cannot afford to upgrade their aging water infrastructures and spend on expensive water testing and filtration systems. Not unlike those disproportionately affected by the pandemic, this poverty has led to those living within these communities to be the most susceptible to exposure to Legionella bacteria.  These researchers…

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March 14, 2022 zacherlaw 0 Comments

COVID Shutdowns and Legionnaires’ Disease

Water stagnation as a result of COVID-19 related shutdowns may have led to an increase in Legionnaires’ disease cases in Baltimore. Clinicians and public health practitioners at Johns Hopkins University identified the link between the shutdowns and Legionnaires’ disease after Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center treated four cases of the disease in 2021. It had been several years since the Bayview Medical Center treated a Legionnaires’ disease case. Legionella bacteria can grow within water pipes, especially when stagnant water is present. As buildings became unoccupied and water usage decreased in Baltimore, the stagnant water became “potential hotbeds” for Legionella bacteria to grow. The…

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January 25, 2022 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Potential Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak at Missouri Hospital

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) is investigating a potential outbreak of Legionnaire’s disease at Phelphs Hospital in Rolla, Missouri. Four cases have been identified among previously hospitalized patients. The DHSS issued a warning to healthcare providers and anyone in the public who may have been in contact with a water source at the hospital. While the DHSS is investigating the outbreak, Phelps Health is monitoring and testing its water system and providing patients with information on Legionnaire’s disease. To read more about the potential outbreak in Missouri, click here. For more information on Legionnaires’ disease, check out…

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Legionella Pneumophila Bacteria. 3D illustration
December 6, 2021 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Legal Aspects of an Outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease at a Hotel in Ocean City, Maryland

Legionnaires’ disease is caused by the bacteria genus Legionella. Infection occurs when an infectious dose of the bacteria enters deeply into a susceptible person’s lungs, either by inhaling contaminated aerosolized water droplets, or by aspirating water into the lungs. The outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease which this paper deals with occurred in Ocean City, Maryland. In total, there were nine confirmed cases associated with the hotel. This paper explores several lawsuits filed against the hotel. Hotel guests who contracted the disease filed suit in federal court, applying Maryland state law, and Maryland state court. The victims brought claims for negligence, punitive damages, and violation of Maryland’s consumer law. This paper…

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November 8, 2021 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Legionella Bacteria Found at Fort Sam Houston Barracks

Staff at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston (JBSA) in San Antonio, Texas, discovered Legionella bacteria during routine water testing. More than 80 residents and staff at Liberty Barracks are being relocated to other barracks and dorms across the base. There are no reported cases of Legionnaires’ disease so far. The relocated service members are from the Brooke Army Medical Center’s Soldier Recovery Unit. This unit includes the Behavioral Health Clinic. The building will be treated and retested after 72 hours. JBSA’s early discovery of the bacteria, before any reported cases, highlights the importance of routine testing for Legionella bacteria. To read more about…

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November 5, 2021 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Confirmed Case of Legionnaires’ Disease at Missouri Mental Health Facility

A patient at Southeast Missouri Mental Health Center has tested positive for Legionnaires’ disease. The 66-year-old patient was transported to a hospital and is in stable condition. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services began extensive testing of the water systems at the Farmington, Missouri, facility. The Department is also assisting the facility in implementing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. After a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease at a veterans home in the neighboring state of Illinois, health department officials in Missouri tightened reporting requirements for Legionnaires’ disease in the state. Facilities must report evidence of…

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