The Waco-McLennan County Public Health District has issued a control order against the hotel after four cases of Legionnaires’ disease were reported between October 2016 and August 17, 2017. Located in Lacy Lakeview, Texas, the hotel has reportedly performed investigations to attempt to locate the source of the bacteria since the first two cases emerged in October of 2016, and the pool was shut down in May 2017 after the third case was reported. The source has still yet to be identified. Due to growing concerns, the Health Department issued the hotel to: • Hire a qualified consultant to assist…
According to Health officials in the state of Michigan cases of legionnaires’ disease have increase 143% over a three year period. In June and July alone, there have been 73 confirmed cases on legionnella pneumonia, also know as Legionnaires’ disease. Officials stated that they are conducting investigation to attempt to determine the cause of this increase. At this point, there has been no common source between all of these cases. Flint, MI is one of the places where legionella has been found in dangerous concentration, on top of the lead that was discovered in the water causing national attention to…
Residents living at the Latimer Gardens, a Flushing NYCHA Complex were warned that Legionella, the bacteria causing Legionnaires’ disease may be on the property. This notice from the New York Health Department comes after two residents, including one who remains hospitalized, contracted the disease over a 12-month period, according to officials. The notifications to residents indicated that testing was being done on the water distribution system that supplies residents with their bathing and drinking water. While you normally cannot contract legionnaires’ disease from drinking contaminated water, showering with contaminated water often leads the water to aerolize. The fine mist containing…
In Kennewick, Washington, three club members of Gold’s Gym contracted legionnaires’ disease with just a few days of one another. Benton-Franklin Health District was able to identify the gym as the common link among the three victims who were infected. After conducting testing on the property, Health officials were able to determine that hot tub located on the premises contained legionella bacteria. Hot tubs are a perfect breeding ground for legionella bacteria due to the fact that hot tubs are a heated closed water system. Further, the jets of a hot tub cause bubbles in the water which allows…
Milton Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, located in Northumberland, PA, went under quarantine after a resident was diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease. The quarantine imposed will allow for employees to come and go from the facility; however, the nursing home will not be accepting new residences at this time. Legionella, the bacteria which causes Legionnaires’ disease is often more likely to be fatal in those who are smokers, people with weakened immune systems, and elderly people. If you believe you or someone you know has been diagnosed with this disease, Contact us to see what we can do to help. Jules Zacher is an…
At the same South Orlando location where two individuals contracted Legionnaires’ disease due to being exposed to the legionella bacteria, a cafe inside the LA Fitness has been ordered to cease operations. While the findings of legionella wasn’t enough to prompt officials to shut down the facility, the discovery of health violations including the presences of several live roaches at the cafe, led officials to force the cafe to close its doors. The LA Fitness was investigated in May and tests sent to the CDC came back positive for legionella in June. The LA Fitness in South Orlando was one…
The hot tub and pool facilities at the Guest House at Graceland have been linked to an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease involving 9 people so far. Jules Zacher, Esq., has been retained by one of the individuals who is believed to be associated with this outbreak. The pool facilities were closed while the Shelby County Health Department completed their investigation, but as of Wednesday, July 19, 2017, the hotel was allowed to reopen their aquatics. Test results of the water taken from the facilities since news of the suspected outbreak broke now show that Legionella bacteria would no longer be able…
Last week, the Guest House at Graceland hotel on Elvis Presley Boulevard shut down its pool area after three individuals were diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease. Now, that number has risen to five cases of Legionnaires’ disease believed to be associated with the hotel. Legionnaires’ disease is caused by exposure to Legionella bacteria which is found in water. While many individuals who are exposed to the bacteria do not become ill, those with compromised immune systems or underlying medical conditions are more likely to experience Legionella-related illness. Symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease resemble that of pneumonia, and can include lethargy, fever, shortness of breath,…
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…