The State Department of Health is investigating a possible case of Legionnaires’ Disease following the death of a man in New Haven, Connecticut. According to the Director of Communications at the Department, Yale New Haven Hospital reported the case to health officials. The Director has not said where the Department believes the man may have contracted the disease. This is an ongoing matter. Health officials at the State Department of Health are still investigating the possible sources of Legionella. As information comes in, we will provide updates.[1] Click here for 100% free consultation. THE MATERIALS ON THIS WEBSITE HAVE BEEN…
Like some of our prior posts, this post highlights a past client’s case. We have previously highlighted cases focusing specifically on hot tubs and cooling towers. This post highlights the potential sources of exposure that exist in hotel and resort settings. In June 2019, our client contracted Legionnaires’ Disease following a stay at an out-of-state hotel. Within days of his visit, he began suffering from symptoms and eventually died as a result of the disease. Generally, sources of exposure at hotels are many, as legionella bacteria can grow and become aerosolized through a number of different sources where water is…
Like the last case we revisited, this post highlights a past client’s case. Our last post highlighted the danger of hot tubs. This post highlights the threat posed by cooling towers – a large, commercial building’s water cooling system. In July and August 2015, there was an outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease in the Bronx that claimed 12 lives and sickened at least 128 people. The outbreak caused widespread concern and weeks of uncertainty among residents. Thanks to the hard work of epidemiologists and investigators, the source of the outbreak was identified: a cooling tower in the area. In cooling tower…
Thankfully, there have been no outbreaks of Legionnaires’ Disease since we covered the cases in Tazewell and Sheboygan counties. So we thought it helpful to highlight some of our past, common scenarios where previous clients of ours have contracted the disease. In our first case, the clients contracted Legionnaires’ Disease on vacation at the defendant’s lake home she was renting. Specifically, three family members inhaled contaminated water emanating from a hot tub on the property. Two fell seriously ill and one family member died as a result of the disease. This case was particularly tricky as Legionella testing was never…
Government officials have warned that gardeners are at higher risk of catching Legionnaires’ disease because Legionella bacteria, which lives in moist organic material, thrives in bags of potting mix and compost. Twenty-three known cases have been reported this year. Legionnaires’ Disease is caused by Legionella bacteria, which grows in moist, organic material. People can catch the disease by inhaling airborne droplets or particles containing the bacteria. To reduce dust, and therefore the likelihood of inhaling contaminated particles, gardeners can spray water onto their soil bags before use. When using soil, gardeners should wear masks, work in a ventilated area, and…
During a routine inspection at Rabin Medical Center in Israel on Monday, Legionnaires’ Disease was detected in a coronavirus ward at their Sharon Campus. The hospital administration said that none of the patients had developed symptoms of the disease and were all moved to an underground emergency ward for treatment.[1] This story is still breaking. If there are any updates, we will publish them. Contact Jules Zacher for a 100% free consultation here. 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.…
Legionnaires’ Disease was first discovered in Philadelphia in 1976 after 200 people became ill with a deadly form of pneumonia. They were attending an American Legion Convention at the Bellevue Hotel. Health officials eventually identified the cause: Legionella bacteria, which had been thriving in the building’s cooling towers, spread through the air conditioning system, aerosolized, and sickened unknowing pedestrians below. Since 1976, a variety of plumbing problems and insufficient water management have resulted in outbreaks across the country. At least 87 people were infected with Legionnaires’ Disease in Flint, Michigan in 2014 and 2015 after the city switched water sources.…
Four days ago, a third resident of UAW Senior Citizens Center in Pekin recently contracted Legionnaires’ Disease. Just within the last two months, a man in his 70s died from the disease and a woman recovered but was hospitalized. Tazewell County Health Department’s communications manager said that the Illinois Department of Public Health is working with the building management to mitigate the water issues. There have been 8 cases of diagnosed Legionnaires’ Disease in Tazewell, though the TCHD’s communications managers says the other five cases are unrelated to the UAW outbreak. On September 10, the TCHD issued a public health…
Earlier this year, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidance for reopening buildings that have been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because Legionella bacteria is at an increased risk of growing in stagnant water, the CDC published a list of 8 steps business and building owners should take to minimize Legionella growth before opening, which included properly maintaining the building’s water heater to at least 140 Degrees Fahrenheit, cleaning all cooling towers of stagnant pools of water, and flushing out all faucets before use.[1] As of late September, the CDC has updated its guidance for…
The Flanders Hotel in Ocean City, NJ recently completed more than $10 million in renovations, revamping almost every portion of the hotel and adding 21 new suits. But the expansion created major issues for the building’s HVAC system’s cooling towers: the old metal-clad tower struggled to provide adequate cooling for the expansion. To ensure comfort for their guests, the Flanders went about updating its cooling tower system. After many consultations with engineers, the hotel’s Director of Operations came across a metal tower alternative constructed out of high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Little did the Flanders know that this alternative would come with…