Tag Archives: water contamination

Case of Legionnaires’ Disease Reported at Olsen Middle School in Dania Beach

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A robo call message was sent to Olsen Middle School parents after a case of Legionnaires’ disease was reported at the Dania Beach school, a Broward County schools spokeswoman said.

“We are working with the Health Department and the school district staff regarding this issue and are taking every precaution to ensure that our school remains a safe learning environment for our students and staff,” the message said.

Spokeswoman Nadine Drew confirmed the person affected was not a student but gave no other information on the victim.

People get Legionnaires’ disease when they breathe in a mist or vapor that has been contaminated with the bacteria, which are not spread from one person to another, the message said.

Signs and symptoms of the disease include high fever, chills, coughing, muscle aches and headaches. A child who exhibits any of those symptoms should be taken immediately to a health care provider, the district told parents.

The district provided bottled water for students and staff as a safety precaution, Drew said in a statement.

Original article at: nbcmiami.com

Hotel with Legionnaires’ Cases Plans Tests Prior to Reopening

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OCEAN CITY — The hotel where several people contracted Legionnaires’ Disease will have consulted with a water systems expert and will have regular water testing done by the health department when it reopens in the spring.

The Plim Plaza Hotel, which closed for the season a few days early this fall after some of its guests developed Legionnaires’ Disease, has been required by the Worcester County Health Department to consult with a water expert to develop a plan for treating its water before it reopens in April 2012.

“We’ll be monitoring the effectiveness of the plan,” said Debra Stevens, nursing program manager at the Worcester County Health Department. “This is an ongoing investigation.”

When it opens in the spring, the oceanfront hotel will also have its water tested regularly for about six months by the health department.

Plim Plaza spokesperson Betsy FauntLeRoy said the hotel had been working closely with the health department since the bacteria was discovered in its water pipes and had hired a water expert immediately.

“We had remediation done,” she said. “All the bacteria has been cleared from the building, everything is good to go.”

She said an exact source of the bacteria had not been determined. “The source is unclear, but we did everything in our power to clean out every pipe and drain,” she said.

The Plim Plaza Hotel closed after three former guests developed Legionnaires’ Disease after staying there in September. Once it closed, four more guests contracted the disease, which can show up anywhere between two and 14 days after exposure to the Legionella bacteria. One of the seven sickened, an elderly out-of-state hotel guest, died.

Legionnaires’ Disease, a form of pneumonia, has symptoms similar to the flu including a high fever, cough and shortness of breath. People develop the illness after exposure to the Legionella bacteria, which is common in the environment, according to the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Original article at: delmarvanow.com

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Warns Against Its Tap Water After Patient Contracts Legionnaire’s Disease

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Patients and staff at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center are being told to avoid the tap water after one patient tested positive for Legionnaire’s disease.

Hospital representatives said the test results were preliminary and that no other patients have tested positive.

Legionnaire’s is a type of pneumonia contracted when people breathe in water vapor or mist that’s been contaminated with the disease.

Patients have been told not to shower or use the sinks or water fountains.

Until the situation is resolved, the hospital is providing bottled water for drinking and pre-moistened towelettes for bathing.

“An administrative gentleman came around and put notes on bathroom doors and just ensuring that we remember not to use the sink,” said a patient.

“I love this hospital, but I’m very concerned about my mother. My mother has one kidney, and the one kidney she has left has cancer on it,” said one woman.

Hospital representatives said tests conducted on other patients and the water supply came back negative for Legionnaires.

Original article at: NY1 News

Eight in Turtle Creek get Legionnaires’ disease

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UPDATE on Turtle Creek Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak.

Eight people living at the LGAR Health & Rehabilitation Center in Turtle Creek contracted Legionnaires’ disease, an Allegheny County Health Department official said Tuesday.

Legionnaires’ disease, caused by a bacteria called Legionella, mimics pneumonia and can cause a high fever, chills, a cough, muscle aches and headaches, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Bruce Dixon, director of the Allegheny County Health Department, said no one has died and the center is taking extra precautions to prevent it from spreading.

Dr. Dixon said the center has switched to using bottled water and is using a heavy metal iron system hospitals employ to prevent the spread of the bacteria.

He said Legionella often spreads when facilities install systems to prevent water from scalding people, causing it to lower in temperature and sometimes become tepid. He said he did not know what caused the Legionella to appear in the LGAR facility.

Representatives for LGAR could not be reached for comment Tuesday evening.

Original article at: post-gazette.com

Elevated levels of Legionella found at Parma General ICU

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Parma — A routine water test in the intensive care unit at Parma Community General Hospital on Tuesday revealed elevated levels of Legionella, the bacterium that causes Legionnaire’s disease.

As of Friday afternoon, no cases of Legionnaire’s had been reported.

Hospital officials confirmed unusually high levels of the bacteria were found in faucet water from the ICU, although other areas of the hospital remained unaffected. Legionella is naturally occurring in water, but certain conditions, such as warm, stagnant water, can cause flare-ups.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website, hospital buildings are at particular risk because of their complex water systems and the fact that many patients have illnesses that increase their risk for infection.

Legionnaire’s disease is contracted by inhaling contaminated water vapor. Common symptoms include a high fever, chills and a cough. Signs of illness usually begin two to 14 days after exposure.

Infection can lead to a form of pneumonia and even death in 5 percent to 30 percent of cases, according to the CDC.

Smokers, the elderly and people with lowered immune systems are more at risk of developing symptoms. Most patients can be treated successfully with antibiotics.

Since the discovery of the high bacteria levels, the hospital has relocated two ICU patients who were considered vulnerable and released a third. Parma will continue selected admissions to the ICU, said hospital marketing director Mark White. Patients and staff have been alerted.

White said that the hospital has already started eliminating the Legionella colonies by replacing the ICU faucets and flushing out the pipes with hot water.

“We’re erring on the side of caution,” White said. “There hasn’t been any outbreak. It’s a manageable situation.”

This is not the first time Legionella has been an issue at Parma General. Since a single case of Legionnaire’s disease occurred in 2002, the hospital has been voluntarily testing its water supply every quarter. White said there have been other instances of positive Legionella levels since testing began but no additional cases of Legionnaire’s.

Cuyahoga County Board of Health Commissioner Terry Allan said that hospital officials had alerted his staff to the current situation. He applauded them for their continued testing regimen and reporting.

“It’s a very good practice to prevent cases among patients,” Allan said.

Last year, 33 cases of Legionnaire’s were reported in Cuyahoga County. There have been 22 cases so far this year.

Original article at: Cleveland.com

Agency closes building after Legionnaire’s case

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ALBANY — A state facility in Broome County used for programs for the disabled has been closed after a state worker came down with Legionnaire’s Disease, officials confirmed Tuesday.

The Office of Persons with Developmental Disabilities closed its Tracy Creek Center in Vestal after an administrative employee came down with the illness last month; officials said the person did not come in contact with clients who attended day programs there.

Problems with the site have not been positively implicated in the illness. Civil Service Employees Association spokesman Stephen Madarasz noted the building had developed mold problems after trouble with the roof led to water in the ventilation system.

The union alerted OPWDD, which called in the Department of Labor to investigate, leading to the closure.

Madarasz said the administration moved quickly to address the problem.

It wasn’t immediately clear when the building could be reopened.

Original article at TimesUnion.com

Richmond Health Center Employee Dies of Legionnaires’ Disease

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Experts are testing the water system at the Richmond Health Center after an employee there died of Legionnaires’ disease.

The center remains open and no other cases of the disease have been identified, said William Walker, director of Contra Costa Health Services.

Test results are expected this week.

Legionnaires’ disease is a pneumonia-like infection that is spread when people breathe in water mist contaminated with Legionella bacteria.

The bacteria, which occur naturally in the environment, live in water and can sometimes be found in hot tubs, air conditioning units in large buildings, decorative fountains, and water systems in cruise ships, hotels and hospitals.

Some people get it from breathing in the steam from a whirlpool spa that has not been properly cleaned and disinfected.
The disease is not contagious.

Contra Costa County typically has three to 10 cases per year. Nationally, 8,000 to 18,000 people are hospitalized annually with the disease.

It may never be known where the medical records technician at the Richmond Health Center came in contact with the bacteria, Walker said.

But in 2008, after another Richmond Health Center employee became ill with Legionnaires’ disease, tests indicated that water in the health center’s cooling tower may have contained the bacteria.

Since then, the county has disinfected the heating and cooling system in the building regularly, Walker said.

The employee who fell ill in 2008 recovered, as do most people who contract the disease, which can be treated with antibiotics. Some people never have symptoms.

But Legionnaires’ can be fatal in 5 to 30 percent of cases, according to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Those who are at greatest risk include smokers, people who have a weakened immune system, those with chronic lung disease, and the elderly.

Legionnaires’ disease can be difficult to diagnose initially because symptoms can be similar to the flu. About two to 10 days after becoming infected, people may develop a fever, chills, cough, muscle aches and headache.

Walker advises anyone with such symptoms to see a doctor.

In the latest round of testing at the Richmond Health Center, Walker said it is likely that some of the water samples will contain the Legionella bacteria because it is commonly found wherever tests occur.

But he stressed that county leaders will take steps to eliminate it and he noted that there have been no other cases of Legionnaires’ disease in the county this year.

“We consider the health center to be safe for both staff and patients,” Walker said.

The health center, which has served West Contra Costa residents since 1967 and sees about 7,000 patients monthly, will soon be replaced by a new, state-of-the-art facility.

On Friday, Rep. George Miller will join county leaders in a groundbreaking ceremony for a $45 million center in San Pablo. The 53,000-square-foot building is expected to be completed by July 2012.

County leaders say the current building, the only one of eight county health centers that has never been replaced, has outlived its usefulness.

From Inside Bay Area

Overview of the Dangers of Legionnaire’s Disease

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A recent outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease at an Orlando hotel serves to remind us about this dangerous disease:

“The Orange County Health Department says two laboratory-confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease are linked to the Quality Inn near Universal Studios. The hotel is in the International Drive tourist corridor, popular with tourists visiting nearby theme parks.

Officials believe the outbreak may have started in the hotel’s hot tub, which may not have been properly chlorinated.

At least two people were hospitalized as a result of the outbreak, Action News has learned, however no further information about their condition was available. They remain in a Pinellas County hospital. Pinellas County officials first alerted Orange County officials to the potential problem. The patients had stayed at the hotel within the last two weeks.”

According to the Mayo Clinic website:

“Legionnaires’ disease usually develops two to 14 days after exposure to the legionella bacteria. It frequently begins with the following signs and symptoms:

  • Headache
  • Muscle pain
  • Chills
  • Fever that may be 104 F (40 C) or higher

If you have Legionnaires’ disease, by the second or third day, you’ll develop other signs and symptoms that may include:

  • Cough, which may bring up mucus and sometimes blood
  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest pain
  • Fatigue
  • Loss of appetite
  • Gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
  • Confusion or other mental changes”

It is usually contracted when a person inhales the bacteria into their lungs. Legionnaires’ Disease can lead to a number of fatal complications, such as respiratory failure, acute kidney failure, and septic shock, so it should be taken extremely seriously and be treated as soon as you suspect you have contracted it.

If you have any of the symptoms of Legionnaires’ Disease, please see a medical professional immediately so that you can get started on the proper antibiotics. It is an easily treatable disease if caught quickly, but if you let it develop it could turn into a fatal problem.

From Avvo

Spokane hospital fighting Legionnaires Disease

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SPOKANE, Wash. —

Patients at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane are being given bottled water to drink while the hospital cleans its water system to remove the bacteria that causes Legionnaires Disease.

Three patients have come down with the disease since January and one has died, although the hospital says the bacteria likely weren’t the cause of the death.

Sacred Heart called in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Testing confirmed Wednesday that Legionella is in the water supply.

The hospital has been cleaning its water tanks and is adding extra chlorine.

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Information from: KXLY-TV, http://www.kxly.com

Playboy Mansion Illness; Hot Tub Bacteria caused Legionnaires Disease

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The Los Angeles County Health Officials have established that the bacteria which caused scores of people to suffer from Legionnaires Disease were traced to a hot tub at the Playboy Mansion where they attended a fundraiser in February.

The Health Officials from Los Angeles County presented the evidence at an annual conference at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. This legionella bacterium not only causes Legionnaires Disease but also Pontiac Fever, a milder illness that has fever and headache as its symptoms.

The people who attended the fundraiser at Playboy Mansion reported respiratory illness after the famous Domainfest conference which was held in February this year.

The Health Officials contacted 439 people and their finding reveal that out of these 439 people 123 people suffered fever and some other related symptoms while 69 of them fell ill on the same day.

We just hope that this finding is not going to affect the upcoming marriage of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner who is ready to tie the knot with his third wife this summer.

From 05 News