The health department confirmed that experts have linked the outbreak to the apartments water system. People can contract Legionnaires disease when they breathe in very small droplets of water contaminated with the Legionella bacteria. Multnomah County Health Officer Jennifer Vines spoke to the press about this incident. She informed them that the plumbing has since been shut off in the building due to the outbreak. Vines also said the health department is working to find out whether water supplied to other nearby properties is also affected. As a result, the county is working to clean the building’s plumbing system and remove any remaining traces of Legionella. Above all, the the evacuated residents want to return home safely. Health experts confirm that this disease is not known to spread from person to person, but from infected water systems. Additionally, the elderly, smokers, those with chronic diseases such as COPD or diabetes, and the immunosuppressed are the most vulnerable in an outbreak such as this one. [2] Click here for a free consultation! THE MATERIALS ON THIS WEBSITE HAVE BEEN PREPARED BY JULES ZACHER, P.C. FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND ARE NOT LEGAL ADVICE OR A SUBSTITUTE FOR LEGAL COUNSEL. [2] https://katu.com/news/local/1-dead-4-hospitalized-with-legionnaires-disease-at-portland-apartments