LEGIONELLA

Our headline says it all: Legionella, which causes a lung infection called Legionnaires’ disease, is back with a vengeance.
Probably one of the worst cases occurred in August when at least six residents of a Reynoldsburg, Ohio retirement community died due to an outbreak of the illness.
During that month, there were 39 cases linked to the retirement community, and those affected included residents, visitors and one employee, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
Testing confirmed the bacteria was in an air-conditioning cooling tower, and in the water used for drinking, showering and cooking.
The investigators were not sure what caused the legionella growth, but drinking and showering activities were restricted until the problem was resolved.

As the presence of legionella bacteria in air conditioning systems, hot water tanks, plumbing systems and cooling towers can lead to outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease.

In August, legionella was also discovered in a cooling tower on the Carnegie Mellon University campus.
Legionnaires’ disease is often most detrimental to the elderly or others with compromised immune systems. Complications from the disease can result in respiratory issues and kidney failure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In another case, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that four prisoners at the Pennsylvania state prison contracted Legionnaires’ disease; tests confirmed the legionella was present in the prison’s cooling towers.
Whenever legionella growth does occur, it’s often attributed to accumulated algae, mold or bacteria within a dirty cooling tower mixing with the tower’s warm water; the combination is a perfect environment for bacterial growth.
The system in which the bacteria grow can aerosolize the bacteria into the air, infecting occupants and spreading the disease.