The NYC Department of Health has announced a comprehensive plan to reduce the risk of Legionnaires’ disease in New York City. Following the 2015 outbreaks in the South Bronx , Mayor de Blasio passed some of the nation’s toughest regulations on cooling towers. The city is now investing more than $7 million to enforce these regulations. Local Law 77, which focuses on preventative maintenance of the city’s 5,544 cooling towers, took effect on May 9, 2016. This law requires that cooling towers be registered with the city and that all cooling towers have plans in place to reduce outbreaks of…
New water risk management legislation has been passed in Queensland, Australia in the aftermath of a string of outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease at hospitals. A string of illnesses and deaths in hospitals has raised awareness of the risks of Legionnaires’ disease in Queensland. A 2013 outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease at The Wesley Hospital, a private hospital in Brisbane, led to the tragic death of one cancer patient and placed another in intensive care. The bacteria was found in the hospital’s hot water system. This outbreak prompted a string of tests and responses, and the hospital put intensified water-testing measures…
Image via http://www.unclejohnshandymanservice.com An article from the Wall Street Journal elaborates on some investigations into Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks done by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in the past 15 years. The results showed that the vast majority of outbreaks were caused by negligence on the part of maintenance employees who did not maintain biocides effectively, repair or change equipment on schedule, or did not adequately maintain the plumbing. These look like easily fixable problems, but it’s more complicated than it seems. The guidelines for preventing Legionella are not standards, and there are virtually no laws requiring specific Legionella prevention. This means…
The WorldMark Kapaa Shore Resort, a Wyndham Resorts hotel, was closed this week after two cases of Legionnaires’ disease were confirmed by the health department. The closure was done as a precaution and guests were moved to nearby hotels. Wyndham Resorts released a statement saying: “Recently, the Kapaa Shore Resort received confirmation that the presence of Legionella bacteria was found in two units at the resort,” the resort said, in an emailed statement. “As a precautionary measure, we are temporarily closing the resort and relocating owners and guests to nearby properties so that we can properly remediate and get the…
The CDC recently released news tools for Legionnaires’ disease investigations. The CDC online toolkit includes: Environmental Investigation Tools, Laboratory Investigation Tools, and a section to request CDC assistance. Example questionnaires, fact sheets, protocols, and educational videos to assist with outbreak investigations are also provided as part of the toolkit. To view this toolkit, please visit the CDC website http://www.cdc.gov/legionella/health-depts/inv-tools-cluster/index.html
A resident at The Commons on St. Anthony, a healthcare facility in Auburn, NY, has tested positive for Legionnaires’ disease. Testing was conducted at the facility following this finding and low levels of Legionella were detected in the water system. No other residents have tested positive for Legionella, but the facility is following recommendations provided by the health department. Water restrictions were put in place until water tests were shown to be normal. To read more about this story, please click here.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock Treatment of Legionnaires’ disease typically involves a series of antibiotics that seek out and kill the present bacteria in a person’s system. This type of treatment is generally very effective, but as discussed in previous posts on this blog, there is concern about overuse of antibiotics leading to drug-resistant bacteria. However, a new potential treatment method has emerged as a secondary effect of specific cancer drugs. BH3-mimetic drugs target and switch-off BCL-XL proteins inside cells. This helps with cancer treatment because it prevents the cancer cells from surviving apoptosis – programmed cell death. Coincidentally, the BCL-XL protein is…
Garston Lane hospital in Wantage, a town in Oxfordshire, is closing due to plumbing issues. According to the hospital trust, the “old and corroded” pipes present a threat of Legionella bacteria to the public. Wantage residents, however, are fighting to keep it open. The campaign was launched this past Saturday and the petition already has over 1,600 signatures. The hospital is currently set to close in the early summer and has plans to “set aside” funds for repairs. No work will begin until it can be determined how the hospital will be renovated. However, the trust also said in a recent statement…
Mike Glasgow, Flint laboratory and water quality supervisor, is shown in this Flint Journal file photo. An interesting piece of information about the Flint water crisis emerged yesterday at an open hearing where members of the Flint community could testify before a Joint Committee. A water treatment plant official, Mike Glasgow, testified that he had tried to increase his staff number and the protection measures being taken as the switch to the Flint River occurred. However, he was blocked from doing so by officials at the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). Glasgow became well known…
Protestors march along Saginaw Street demanding clean water outside of Flint City Hall in Flint, Mich. on Wednesday Oct. 7, 2015. Christian Randolph | MLive.com Summer is approaching quickly, and with it, warmer weather. Generally this is a pleasant transition from a cold winter, but the residents of Flint, Michigan may have a reason to dread the upcoming season. The transition to Spring may see an uptick in the number of cases of Legionnaires’ disease. Bacteria thrive in warmer water, and Flint has had a terrible problem with bacteria in the past year. Second to lead exposure, Legionella bacteria has been…