Legionella Archives

January 7, 2021 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Outbreak of Legionnaires Disease in A Portland Apartment Complex

The health department confirmed that experts have linked the outbreak to the apartments water system. People can contract Legionnaires disease when they breathe in very small droplets of water contaminated with the Legionella bacteria. Multnomah County Health Officer Jennifer Vines spoke to the press about this incident. She informed them that the plumbing has since been shut off in the building due to the outbreak. Vines also said the health department is working to find out whether water supplied to other nearby properties is also affected. As a result, the county is working to clean the building’s plumbing system and remove any remaining…

December 30, 2020 jzacher 0 Comments

Centers For Disease Control (CDC) Publishes New Study Regarding The Burden of Waterborne Diseases In The United States (Part 2)

Continued from the last post, this post will explore the results of the CDC study and estimate the actual burden of these waterborne diseases. There were 6,630 deaths attributed to waterborne diseases. Legionnaires disease had the second highest number of deaths of the 17 waterborne illnesses studied. Legionnaires disease also had the second highest cost per hospital stay of all the illnesses at approximately $37,200. The 17 waterborne diseases incurred $3.33 billion in total hospitalization and emergency department costs. This amount included $1.33 billion in commercial insurer payments, $1.52 billion in Medicare payments, and $284 million in Medicaid payments. 7,150,000 illnesses attributed to waterborne…

December 30, 2020 jzacher 0 Comments

Centers For Disease Control (CDC) Publishes New Study Regarding The Burden of Waterborne Diseases In The United States (Part 1)

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has recently published a new study estimating the burden and direct healthcare costs of infectious waterborne diseases in the United States. They chose to study waterborne diseases that were likely to causes substantial illness or death, and this includes Legionnaires disease. The goal of this study is to help direct preventative action moving forward and set public health goals. New information from the CDC estimates total illnesses, emergency department visits, hospitalizations, deaths, and direct healthcare costs for 17 waterborne infectious diseases, Legionnaires diseases included. The CDC determined about 7.15 million waterborne illnesses occur annually. …

December 22, 2020 jzacher 0 Comments

The Economic Burden of Legionnaires Disease Over $835 Million for Just One Year

In the United States since 2000, reported cases of Legionnaires disease have been steadily increasing. The CDC estimates that there are approximately 5,000 cases and 20 outbreaks of Legionnaires disease reported annually in the United States. [1] The majority of these cases are preventable, as they occur when buildings and facilities fail to properly maintain their water systems. Researchers estimate the economic burden of Legionnaires disease cases in just one year tops over $800 million. In 2014, the exact figure of the economic burden of Legionnaires disease was approximately $835 million. This estimate includes medical expenses, and the productivity losses cause…

December 15, 2020 jzacher 0 Comments

Legionella exposure poses a risk as schools reopen

As buildings continue to reopen during the coronavirus pandemic, the risk of legionella exposure remains, including in schools that have been closed for many months. Stagnant water, like that in buildings that have been closed for extended periods, provides an ideal environment for Legionella to grow. At least 10 schools in Pennsylvania and Ohio found harmful bacteria in their plumbing when attempting to reopen this fall. Schools often have many water use locations, from gym showers to drinking fountains, making them vulnerable to bacterial growth, including Legionella, when the systems aren’t cared for properly. However, water researchers note that most…

December 7, 2020 jzacher 0 Comments

Smithsonian Magazine highlights rising legionella cases

Smithsonian Magazine recently published an article discussing rising rates of legionella exposure over the last two decades. While the United States has some of the safest drinking water in the world, due in large part to the passage of the U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act in 1974, exposure to legionella continues to be an issue across the country. Legionella accounts for about 60% of waterborne disease outbreaks over the last decade, now the leading cause of outbreaks. While almost 10,000 cases of Legionnaires’ disease were reported to the CDC in 2018 experts suggest that the real number may be significantly…

November 30, 2020 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Safe water access remains a problem across the U.S.

The Harvard Kennedy School’s Journalist’s Resource recently published an interesting article highlighting the inequities in access to safe in-home water across the United States. Around 1.1 million people across the U.S. report lacking some access to running water in their homes and households of color are disproportionately more likely to fall into this group. Households of color in metropolitan areas are 34% more likely to lack complete plumbing in their home. For a household to have complete plumbing, it must have it running hot and cold water plus a bathtub or shower used only by people living in the dwelling.…

November 23, 2020 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Possible Legionella Outbreak in Wisconsin

There has been a suspected legionella outbreak in Spring Green, Wisconsin. Two individuals who stayed at the Round Barn Lodge have confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease. While there has not yet been testing to confirm the lodge as their source of exposure, both individuals began feeling symptoms 10-14 days after their stay which falls within the typical incubation period for Legionnaires’ disease. The lodge has since hired an independent laboratory partner to test the water and resolve any problems with the water that may be found. The lodge has voluntarily closed and notified past guests with information provided by the…

November 19, 2020 zacherlaw 0 Comments

Flint water crisis settlement grows to $641 million

The settlement of the Flint water crisis lawsuits has recently grown to $641 million dollars. The initial settlement amount this summer was $600 million, but the amount increased with additional defendants, including the city of Flint, joining the settlement. With roughly 80 percent of the settlement slated to go to children, prioritizing those who were 6 years old or younger when they were first exposed to Flint River water, money will also be available to those who contracted Legionnaires’ disease from Flint water. People who were both exposed to water received from the Flint treatment plant and diagnosed with Legionnaires’…

November 18, 2020 zacherlaw 0 Comments

The Duty of a Maintenance Company

The next case we’re going to revisit, while also involving a hotel, is unique as it involved an external maintenance company and the duty it owed to keep a pool system safe. In this case, a hotel employee was tasked with manually cleaning out the filter for the pool and hot tub. Within a week, the employee began to feel ill and was later diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease. He was the third case of Legionnaires’ disease that could be traced back to the hotel. He was hospitalized multiple times over a 5-month period as a result of his diagnosis. Both…