More effective water management might have prevented most
of the Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks CDC investigated from 2000 through 2014,
according to today’s CDC Vital
Signs report.
Problems identified in these building-associated
outbreaks included inadequate disinfectant levels, human error, and equipment
breakdowns that led to growth of Legionella bacteria in water systems.
CDC is releasing a new toolkit today to help building owner and managers
prevent these problems.
Legionnaires’ disease is on the rise. In the last year,
about 5,000 people were diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease and more than 20
outbreaks were reported to CDC. Legionnaires’ disease is a serious type of lung
infection (pneumonia) that people can get by breathing in small droplets of
water contaminated with Legionella. Most people who get sick need
hospital care and make a full recovery—but about 1 in 10 people will die from
the infection.
The Vital Signs report examined 27
building-associated Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks investigated by CDC across
24 states and territories, Mexico, and Canada. For each outbreak, CDC
researchers recorded the location, source of exposure, and deficiencies in
environmental control of Legionella.
The most common source of building-associated
Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks was drinkable water (56 percent), such as water
used for showering, followed by cooling towers (22 percent), and hot tubs (7
percent). Other sources included industrial equipment (4 percent) and a
decorative fountain/water feature (4 percent). In two outbreaks, the source was
never identified.
Twenty-three of the investigations included descriptions
of failures that contributed to the outbreak. In nearly half, more than one
type of failure was identified.
Explore CDC’s new Vital Signs
on preventing Legionnaires’ disease, including a practical guide for developing a Legionella
water management program, infographic fact sheet, and more.
Posted by Dr. Tim Sandle
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