A birth center in southern England has been cleaned and will soon reopen after having closed for the second time this year because of positive tests for Legionella. Paulton Birth Centre in Somerset was closed for maintenance in early June after a sample of water was found to contain Legionella. The bacteria was found in a section of the center that does not serve patients directly. Now, the water system has been tested again after a cleaning and no Legionella has been found. A spokesperson for the center’s owner, NHS Property Services, said that the water system had been thoroughly…
A new website aimed at spreading information about Legionella and Legionnaires’ disease has recently been launched. PreventLegionnaires.org provides basic facts about disease transmission and prevention, and offers advice to managers and businesses on how to manage risk and implement plans to keep Legionella in check. The website also offers downloadable resources specific to healthcare facilities and industrial or commercial buildings. PreventLegionnaires.org is published in association with the CDC and a number of health organizations, and it is funded by several companies that produce cooling towers. Cooling towers have sometimes been to blame for the spread of Legionella. For more…
Recent guests at a North Carolina hotel have contracted Legionnaires’ disease and hotel managers are taking steps to control exposure. Three individuals who stayed at the Meadowbrook Inn and Suites in the mountain resort town of Blowing Rock, NC have tested positive for Legionnaires’ disease. All of the affected guests had stayed at the hotel within 10 days before the onset of their symptoms, and all have undergone treatment and are recovering. The Meadowbrook Inn has a comprehensive water management system in place, including regular testing of water features such as pools and hot tubs. When the disease was reported,…
Senior living facilities in Maryland and New York have reported the presence of Legionella bacteria, leading in some cases to Legionnaires’ Disease. A resident of The Commons, a senior living facility in Auburn, NY, tested positive for Legionnaires’ disease in early June. Officials conducted tests and found that the facility’s drinking water was contaminated with the Legionella bacteria. The facility has taken preventative measures to control the bacteria, following guidelines established by the New York Health Department. No new cases of Legionnaires’ disease have been reported. The Lutheran Village in Elliot City, MD has reported that two of their residents have…
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock Treatment of Legionnaires’ disease typically involves a series of antibiotics that seek out and kill the present bacteria in a person’s system. This type of treatment is generally very effective, but as discussed in previous posts on this blog, there is concern about overuse of antibiotics leading to drug-resistant bacteria. However, a new potential treatment method has emerged as a secondary effect of specific cancer drugs. BH3-mimetic drugs target and switch-off BCL-XL proteins inside cells. This helps with cancer treatment because it prevents the cancer cells from surviving apoptosis – programmed cell death. Coincidentally, the BCL-XL protein is…
Protestors march along Saginaw Street demanding clean water outside of Flint City Hall in Flint, Mich. on Wednesday Oct. 7, 2015. Christian Randolph | MLive.com Summer is approaching quickly, and with it, warmer weather. Generally this is a pleasant transition from a cold winter, but the residents of Flint, Michigan may have a reason to dread the upcoming season. The transition to Spring may see an uptick in the number of cases of Legionnaires’ disease. Bacteria thrive in warmer water, and Flint has had a terrible problem with bacteria in the past year. Second to lead exposure, Legionella bacteria has been…
Before understanding the steps being taken to amend the crisis, one must first understand the causes and circumstances. The water supply for the city of Flint was switch from the Detroit city water inlet to the Flint River from April 25th, 2014 until October 16th, 2015. This switch was an effort to reduce costs for the municipal system while maintaining a constant water supply. However, during that period many levels of the Flint government either did not see, or intentionally disregarded clear evidence that the water from the Flint river was damaging to the city. This negligence has resulted in numerous…
Most occupations adhere to standards of safety or quality that are developed over many years, and designing interior building systems is no exception. The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. (ASHRAE) is an organization that produces updated standards and guidelines for jobs involving central systems in buildings. The guidelines are not guaranteed to prevent accidents or eradicate risks, but are generally considered the best ways to prevent undesirable occurrences. The ASHRAE 12-2000 Guideline, entitled Minimizing the Risk of Legionellosis Associated with Building Water Systems, focuses on what architects, construction companies, and maintenance employees…