The Ohio Department of Health, in collaboration with the Lake County General Health district, has confirmed the cooling tower of a local business as the source of an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease. The outbreak, which began in July, seems to have had several sources, and the cooling tower has been linked to at least three of the ten cases. Health officials announced that an environmental assessment at Consolidated Precision Products, a business in Eastlake, revealed the presence of Legionella bacteria on November 16, 2016. At least three cases of Legionnaires’ disease were reported in September among individuals who had spent time in the…
On September 1, 2016, State Correctional Institution (“SCI”) – Pittsburgh announced the presence of Legionella within its facility. However, the facility tested positive for Legionella as early as May of this year. SCI-Pittburgh’s medical director, Joseph Mollura (60) died of complications resulting from Legionella pneumonia on August 8, 2016. However, a May 12, 2016 report regarding testing performed at the prison on May 4, 2016 revealed that the cooling tower known as “No. 1,” which served the prison’s medical department, was found positive for Legionella. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends that any cooling tower that has 100 cfu/ml or more of bacteria…
A resident of a county-run nursing home in Pennsylvania was diagnosed on October 24 with Legionnaires’ disease, and officials believe she contracted it from her residence. McKeesport Regional Care Center, where the woman lives, has taken measures to guard against the possibility of further cases. The woman was hospitalized and diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease at UPMC McKeesport. After being informed of the case, management at McKeesport RCC distributed bottled water and put the water system at the nursing home out of commission. They also sent a letter informing patients and their families about the diagnosis. Management also sampled water from…
Three former residents and one employee of Wesley Health Care Center in Saratoga Springs, New York tested positive for Legionella bacteria. The former residents were staying on the same floor while involved in short-term rehabilitation programs at the nursing home. The facility last performed routine tests for Legionella on September 2, 2016, yielding negative results. Saratoga Hospital informed Wesley Health Care Center of the cases of Legionnaires’ disease on October 13, 2016, and dozens of water samples have been taken from the facility since then in an attempt to determine if it is the source of the bacteria. The results of those tests are not yet…
Twelve people have been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease in Niagara County. Eight of those diagnosed are associated with the Lockport area specifically. A cooling tower at the Eastern Niagara Hospital in Lockport recently tested positive for Legionella bacteria. Under the 2016 New York state regulations, cooling towers must be regularly tested for Legionella, and any cooling towers that test positive must report it to the state and local departments of health. The hospital advised they have since re-cleaned and disinfected the cooling tower, and also in accordance with the 2016 New York state regulations they will also conduct additional testing…
Two patients at the Overlake Hospital Medical Center in Bellevue, WA were diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease in September. One, a patient in her 50s, was treated for the disease at a different hospital six days after she visited Overlake’s emergency department. The other, a man in his 60s, had been in the hospital for treatment when he contracted the disease. The male patient had a compromised immune system due to a preexisting medical condition. Hospital officials have stated that it is unclear where the second patient contracted the disease. Preliminary tests, however, showed the presence of Legionella bacteria in a sink and…
State health officials have identified the likely source of a record-setting Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Hopkins, MN. The bacteria has been traced to a set of cooling towers at Citrus Systems, Inc., a local beverage manufacturer. 23 people have fallen ill with Legionnaires’ disease in Hopkins; 17 of them were hospitalized, and one died. The town has been struggling to identify the source of the outbreak since early September. Health officials studied the distribution of cases and the habits of the individuals affected; several water sources throughout the town were tested for Legionella bacteria. The investigation was eventually narrowed to cover a…
American Airlines at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport said that it tested water samples at four of its maintenance hangars after an employee developed Legionnaires’ disease. The findings revealed varying levels of Legionella bacteria in eight shower heads, as well as some faucets and water fountains within those hangars. The employee has since recovered, but it is unclear at this time whether or not the bacteria found at the hangars were responsible for the employee’s illness. Vinny Taneja, Public Health Director of Tarrant County, stated that his agency is working with American Airlines to discuss recommendations to address the Legionella issue such as…
Two students at the Allegheny Valley School in Coraopolis, PA have been infected with Legionella bacteria. Spokespeople at the school, which provides services to those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, confirmed the two cases and stated that the campus was being tested. All tests so far have been negative and the investigation continues. As a precaution, students and staff have been given bottled water. The Allegheny County Health Department has been involved in the investigation. This is the second time Legionella bacteria have been found in an Allegheny County facility recently–the Allegheny General Hospital found the bacteria in its water system earlier this year,…
Numbers continue to grow in the ongoing investigation in Hopkins, MN, and officials still are unsure what the source of the Legionella responsible for this outbreak might be. Currently, the total confirmed cases found associated with the Hopkins area adds up to 20, with one case resulting in the victim’s death. The victims of the disease were found to live, work, or have visited the Hopkins, Minnesota area prior to September 9, 2016. Although some measures to eradicate the possible source of the outbreak have already been taken- such as disinfecting cooling towers atop some local businesses and shutting down…