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…
Officials have updated the number of cases of Legionnaires’ disease associated with the La Quinta Inn & Suites in Memphis, TN. The Shelby County Health Department says that there are now seven confirmed cases of the disease among guests of the hotel, in addition to twenty-three possible cases. The hotel was shut down on September 22 after five former guests were diagnosed with Legionnaires’ and the outbreak was linked to the hotel. The hotel’s franchise owners worked with various health departments to eliminate the bacteria from the water supply. Now, the hotel is planning to reopen after a shutdown of nearly two weeks. No…
Officials at the University of Michigan at Flint have announced that Legionella bacteria have been found in a residence hall on campus. No associated cases of Legionnaires’ disease have yet been reported. Three locations within the water supply of the Riverfront Residence Hall, a dormitory located on the banks of Flint River, have tested positive for Legionella. UM-Flint Chancellor Susan Borrego has stated that university officials are flushing the water system in the dorm and consulting health authorities. The CDC and the Genesee County Health Department have been notified and have confirmed that none of the 10 cases reported in Genesee County so…
A patient at the UW Medical Center in Seattle, WA has filed a claim against the hospital after she contracted Legionnaires’ disease while recovering from a transplant. Victoria Martin, 32, underwent a successful heart transplant on August 8, 2016. She was placed on a standard program of immunosuppressant drugs, which made her more vulnerable to infections and bactera such as Legionella. When she contracted Legionnaires’ disease after the transplant, she was put on a respirator in the ICU for 25 days. She spent a total of 35 days in the hospital undergoing treatment for the disease. She still returns to…
Several cooling towers in the town of Hopkins, MN are under investigation as the number of reported cases of Legionnaires’ disease continues to rise. The town has seen 23 cases of the disease within the past two months, one of them fatal. Residents of the town, which has a population of 18,000, were told last week that the Minnesota Department of Health is conducting tests on several water towers. The seven water towers under investigation have been named. Testing samples have been taken and the towers are now undergoing routine disinfection, though test results for Legionella are not yet available. No…
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,…
The La Quinta Inn & Suites in Memphis, Tennessee has been closed since September 22, 2016, following 6 confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease in people that stayed there. Prior to close, the hotel distributed a letter by the Shelby County Health Department that urged anyone who experienced symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath, fever, muscle aches, or headaches after staying there to seek medical attention. However, the hotel now has reason to believe that around 6,000 people could have been exposed to the Legionella bacteria responsible for the outbreak between July 1, 2016 and September 22, 2016. They are now…
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…
The University of Washington Medical Center began the remediation process following the Legionnaires’ disease diagnoses of four patients treated at their facility. Two of these patients have since passed. However, while the facility believed that their efforts had eliminated the bacteria, on Monday, September 26, 2016, officials announced a fifth case of Legionnaires’ disease associated with the facility. UW Medical Center implemented the use of filters and flushed their water system with chlorine on September 19th and 20th. These efforts were believed to have abolished Legionella bacteria from the Cascade Tower, which was thought to be the cause of the outbreak. While the fifth diagnosed patient…