An unidentified East Harlem police officer has been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ Disease. This diagnosis prompted NYC Department of Health officials to investigate the source of this illness. Following an investigation, Department of Health officials stated that Legionella, the Legionnaires’ Disease causing bacteria, was found in the workplace of the officer. This comes after an outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease killed 12 people and sickened 128 others in the South Bronx section of New York City in the Summer of 2015. For more information about the Legionnaires’ Disease case involving the police click here to red a New York Times article. If you…
An apartment complex for seniors in Reynoldsburg, Ohio has been found to contain legionella bacteria. The residents, numbering around one hundred, have been advised by the Franklin County Health Department to not shower or use tap water at the complex. The legionella bacteria was found as part of a Health Department investigation focusing on the apartment complex. The investigation was initiated as a result of five residents acquiring Legionnaires’ Disease in the past year. The complex is now undergoing flushing and remediation of its water system. So far there has been no confirmed exact source of the legionella bacteria. The Health…
According to a CDC report based on 27 different outbreaks investigated by the CDC from 2000-2014, released last year, found that hotels and resorts are the most common source of Legionnaires’ Disease outbreaks in the United States. Hotels and resorts were 25 percentage points ahead of long term care facilities and other health care related facilities. Senior living facilities, workplace, and community-associated outbreaks were each found to be responsible for 7% of Legionnaires’ Disease outbreaks. Travel associated outbreaks (hotels and resorts) were found to be the most common source of outbreaks but were also found to have the lowest median fatality rate at…
The health crisis that developed over the past year in Flint, Michigan has been widely publicized due to it’s devastating impact on the population of the city, and the clear missteps taken by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) when implementing the switch from Lake Huron to the Flint River as a source of water. The corrosive water of the Flint River deteriorated old lead water systems resulting in a rush of contaminated water to the Flint population. Since then, a spike in Legionnaires’ disease cases, lead poisoning, and numerous other health issues have been major concerns prompting…