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September 21, 2020 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Gardeners Should Wear Gloves and Masks: Here’s Why

Government officials have warned that gardeners are at a higher risk of catching Legionnaires’ disease because Legionella bacteria, which live in moist organic material, thrive in bags of potting mix and compost. One official says that cases typically spike in early November, but that in she sees cases notified from September onward due to an increase in gardening activity. Three weeks ago, a 59-year-old keen gardener was using potting mix to plant some seedlings in his greenhouse. He began to feel unwell but thought it was just the flu. But the fevers quickly turned to coughing up blood. He was…

July 24, 2018 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Washington Heights Legionnaires’ Outbreak Leaves 22 Ill One dead

New York City health officials first learned of a cluster of Legionnaires’ Disease cases in Washington Heights in early July. Since then, eight confirmed cases have more than doubled with the current total inching toward two dozen. The outbreak has already proven fatal with one death, and several confirmed cases still hospitalized. Health Officials have indicated that the “Lower Washington Heights” outbreak stems from an infected cooling tower. The health department has conducted testing on over 20 cooling towers and have affirmed that drinking water is safe despite the rise in cases. Early reports show that affected individuals are between…

April 9, 2018 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Guidelines and Resources for Legionella

In a previous post, we discussed an introduction to water system maintenance. More detailed resources, however, can clearly be of great assistance in situations like this. As such, the CDC actually provides a great page to review other significant guidelines and standards that may be applicable. Resources on the page include everything from ASHRAE to the Cooling Tower Institute however what’s also of interest is that the page provides links to more healthcare-specific guidelines including those from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as well as, of course, the CDC’s own guidelines on both matters. Here are some of…

April 8, 2018 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Legionella Testing Market Valued At $180 Million in 2016

About a month ago, Transparency Market Research estimated that the global legionella testing market was valued at US$180 million in 2016. In addition, Transparency Market Research also estimated that the testing market would reach around US$398.7 million by 2025. Perhaps one of the biggest factors for future growth moving forward is that the incidence rate is increasing globally, particularly in developing regions. With this higher incidence of infectious diseases comes a steady increase in the demand for diagnostic kits and with it the global legionella testing market is expected to substantially grow. As it stands now, the incidence rate of…

April 5, 2018 zacherlaw 0 Comments

New Model Developed to Understand How Legionella Grow in Plumbing Systems

Assessing plumbing systems can sometime feel like a task which you are going to be inherently blind in. After all, regular testing is important however pinpointing the exact location of clusters can often be difficult. Luckily, there appears to be a new model which may help public health authorities assess water quality. According to one of the co-authors and civil and environmental engineering professor Wen-Tso Liu, “(P)revious studies have relied on reproducing the conditions of a stagnant plumbing system within a lab setting,” however for this study, the team was “able to collect samples in a real-life situation.” The team collected…

April 4, 2018 zacherlaw 0 Comments

$278 Million Renovations for Veterans Home in Quincy, Illinois, Report Recommends

A preliminary report released yesterday suggests that a substantial upgrade of the Illinois Veterans Home at Quincy is the best route for resolving the Legionella issues there. This makeover, however, is estimated to cost as much as $278 million. The report describes a brand new residence with new plumbing and a well to serve as a separate water source. This report by the task forces which the governor had organized says the new facility would not only include Legionnaires’-resistant piping, but could be built to adapt to the changing needs of veterans moving forward. A final report is expected on May 1.…

April 3, 2018 zacherlaw 0 Comments

A Dallas Senior Living Community Treats Water at 2 Buildings after Legionnaires Case Detected by Health Department

A Dallas senior living community was required to treat the water in two of their buildings after the country health department detected a case of Legionnaires’ disease. Mr Jeff Getek, Highland Spring Senior Living spokesman, has said that the retirement community was initially notified of the positive Legionnaires’ disease test by the Collin County Department of Health. In addition, Mr. Getek also added that this was an “isolated situation,” with no other residents at the Far North Dallas community having reported symptoms. One of the residential buildings where the resident with Legionnaires lives will have water restriction until the health…

April 2, 2018 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Legionella Bacteria Found Within Cooling Towers at 3 Schools

Over the course of the past few weeks, we have covered cooling towers and how they can serve as potential breeding grounds for Legionella bacteria. This appears to be the case in Long Island as a school district there announced that Legionella bacteria was found in the cooling towers at three of their schools. According to the Sachem Central School District at Holbrook’s superintendent, James Nolan, the bacteria was detected in the cooling towers at Seneca, Sequoya and East schools after conducting scheduled testing in order to be in compliance with New York state regulations. Once discovered, the cooling towers…

March 29, 2018 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Rubber Ducks May Harbor Legionella Bacteria

Rubber ducks are a classic component of the stereotypical bath and have made an impact on numerous individual’s lives. Yet with its constant presence in our bathing rituals and lives, an uncomfortable subject may inadvertently emerge; how clean/safe is this object. According to a study by American and Swiss researchers, toy ducks appear to be a breeding ground for microbes and bacteria like Legionella. In the study, water released from four out of every five ducks found Legionella along with other Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria, a fairly disturbing frequency. The study, which was conducted by the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science…

March 27, 2018 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Maine Maritime Academy Graduate Wins $310,000 After Contracting Legionnaire’s On Offshore Vessel

On Sunday, March 25th, it was reported that a Maine Maritime Academy graduate had won $310,000 in a lawsuit over Legionnaires’ disease which they contracted during their summer internship with LaBorde Marine Management LLC of New Orleans while aboard an offshore vessel in August 2013. The federal judge in the case awarded the graduate $150,000 for lost wages, another $150,000 for pain and suffering, as well as $10,000 for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. The U.S. District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle concluded that LaBorde Marine Management LLC of New Orleans was negligent in keeping the intern safe from Legionnaires’…