From New York to California, populations across the United States have an increased risk of a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak. Health officials are increasingly concerned about the continuous uptick of Legionnaires’ disease cases, which have risen steadily since 2000. While the waterborne bacterial disease is relatively rare ― with 6,238 cases nationwideso far this year ― there has been a 13.6 percent increase in cases since this time last year. That’s nearly double the increase of 7.8 percent from 2015 to 2016 in the same time period. The disease is not contagious. It’s contracted when people breathe in water droplets contaminated…
Dr. Joseph Mollura began working full time as the medical director at the SCI Pittsburgh about four years ago. However, Dr. Mollura died on August 8, 2016 after he developed Legionnaires’ disease. His family filed a lawsuit on May 4, 2017 in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court, alleging that Dr. Mollura developed Legionnaires’ disease from working at SCI Pittsburgh. The family filed suit against the state Department of Corrections and Capital Technologies, the company that was hired to provide water services to the prison. The family claims wrongful death, suggesting that the prison first detected high levels of Legionella bacteria in…
On September 1, 2016, State Correctional Institution (“SCI”) – Pittsburgh announced the presence of Legionella within its facility. However, the facility tested positive for Legionella as early as May of this year. SCI-Pittburgh’s medical director, Joseph Mollura (60) died of complications resulting from Legionella pneumonia on August 8, 2016. However, a May 12, 2016 report regarding testing performed at the prison on May 4, 2016 revealed that the cooling tower known as “No. 1,” which served the prison’s medical department, was found positive for Legionella. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends that any cooling tower that has 100 cfu/ml or more of bacteria…
SCI Pittsburgh has discovered unacceptably high levels of Legionella bacteria in its water supply. Prison officials have stated that water in a cooling tower and in the medical building has been contaminated. Routine testing for the bacteria revealed its presence and steps are now being taken to avoid an outbreak. Prison officials are distributing bottled drinking water to employees and inmates, and the showers in the medical buildings have been shut down. Showers in other buildings and cooking water remain unaffected, a spokesperson said. No inmates or employees are yet known to have been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease. Since Legionnaires’…
The Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA is exploring options to eliminate Legionella bacteria from its water supply. The hospital found the bacteria in two water tanks earlier this year, and has since taken steps to keep patients safe. Hospital officials shut down sources of drinking water in several floors of its main inpatient facility after Legionella cultures were positive, and it increased the frequency of testing in high-risk units. The hospital has now largely returned to its normal water treatment system, though officials are continuing to test drinking water and are considering an overhaul of the existing water treatment system. The…
Legionella bacteria in the water supply of the Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh likely caused a cancer patient to contract Legionnaires’ disease. Officials previously believed that the patient, now recovered, had contracted the illness elsewhere, but new tests show that the bacteria originated in the hospital. After a cancer patient who had previously been treated at the hospital was readmitted with respiratory problems at the end of May, doctors tested the patient for Legionnaires’ disease. (Click here for our original blog post on this story.) The test was positive, and the patient was treated and made a full recovery. At the…