The Kingsway nursing home in Schenectady, New York conducted routine and mandated testing for the presence of Legionella bacteria. On November 23, 2016, the results indicated that 30 percent of the water samples were positive for non-pneumonic Legionella. The facility flushed the pipes with scalding hot water (160 degrees) to kill off the bacteria momentarily while it arranges for a long-term solution. The strain of Legionella found at the facility is not typically responsible for Legionnaires’ disease, but could possibly cause pneumonia or other illnesses. New York State regulations require that nursing homes test their potable water and report results if…
A resident of the Charlestown retirement community tested positive for Legionella bacteria and is currently hospitalized. Baltimore County health officials have ordered testing of the water in the Caton Woods Building within the community. Dan Dunne, spokesman for the community, indicated that Caton Woods is a new building and only a dozen or so residents currently live there. New residents were in the process of being moved in, but this has since been halted. The source of the bacteria that caused the resident’s illness has not yet been determined, and the results of the water testing performed at the Caton…
La Quinta Inn & Suites Memphis Airport Graceland was found responsible in September of 2016 for an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease among guests who stayed there between the months of July and September of 2016. Marlene Casas, 51, was a guest of the hotel during that time, and subsequently became ill with Legionnaires’ disease. Acencion Casas filed a lawsuit on Marlene’s behalf in federal court on Tuesday. She was reported to have spent a total of 22 days in the hospital, including 10 days in the ICU. Owners of the inn, La Quinta Holdings Inc., and Minesh and Jagruti Patel, allegedly failed…
A cluster of Legionnaires’ disease cases has appeared in the southeastern part of New Mexico. Since the first week of October this year, six patients from Chaves County have been reported ill with the disease. Two of these individuals– a 69-year old woman and a 65-year old woman – have passed away. The six who became ill were known to have other health issues that increased their risk of developing Legionnaires’ disease. The New Mexico Department of Health is working alongside Eastern New Mexico Medical Center to determine the source. The six known cases are among individuals who live in the…
Delta Cooling Towers, a New Jersey-based manufacturer of cooling towers, has unveiled a product that they hope will prevent the spread of Legionella bacteria. The cooling towers are made of an anti-microbial resin that has been treated with additives to prevent the growth of microorganisms. The plastic towers are also less affected by water treatments than metal towers–corrosive treatments in metal towers can release nutrients that feed Legionella bacteria. John Flaherty, president of Delta Cooling Towers, mentioned in a statement that this innovation is only one part of the process of safe water management. Competent and consistent maintenance of cooling towers is…
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…
Residents of an assisted living facility on Staten Island have been informed of a single case of Legionnaires’ disease on the premises. The unidentified patient is a resident of The Brielle at Seaview, a non-profit assisted living community, and has been discharged from care. No further information about the patient has been released. The notification is part of a city-wide plan implemented after last year’s Bronx outbreaks. Part of the newly instituted plan involves notifying facilities with high-risk populations when one or more cases are reported. The Brielle, with its aging population, falls into this category, though health officials noted that…
An outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in upstate New York continues to grow. A fifth case has now been confirmed in Plattsburgh, NY. All of the patients live in the same apartment complex on the west side of the city, and officials have notified other residents of the complex about the outbreak. The first four cases were identified in October. The patients have been treated at the Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital; the first four patients have been discharged, and the final patient remains at the hospital in stable condition. The Clinton County Health Department has been collecting water samples from the apartment…
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 54-year-old Cuyahoga County gentleman has died, and 10 more members of the Lake County community were sickened with Legionnaires’ disease. The cooling towers at Consolidated Precision Products (“CPP”) in Eastlake, Ohio were investigated this past October as possible sources of the bacteria after knowledge that between the months of July and September, one employee of CPP and two employees of neighboring companies became ill with the disease. Inspectors say that during the testing, one of the cooling towers at CPP tested positive for Legionella bacteria. Subsequently, the company released a statement that the facility’s production and cooling water systems- including the…