Legionnaires’ Disease and Preventing Outbreaks with Water Management Programs

Last month, the Health Department in New York City announced it was investigating a community cluster of Legionnaires’ disease in a Bronx neighborhood after multiple people were diagnosed with the disease and several died. The New Jersey Department of Health also investigated a cluster of cases of the disease associated with guests that stayed at a hotel in Parsippany that same month.
 
Legionnaires’ disease is caused by exposure to a type of bacteria known as Legionella. It can be found naturally in freshwater environments, but becomes a health concern when it grows and spreads in man-made building water systems. If people are exposed to water containing Legionella in droplets small enough to be inhaled, they could develop Legionnaires’ disease or Pontiac fever.
 
Legionnaires’ disease has a fatality rate of about 10% according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The agency also reports that based on its past investigations, approximately 90% of all Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks were caused by problems preventable with more effective water management. This is clear evidence that an effective water management program is essential for preventing outbreaks, especially in buildings with high risk populations. These include hospitals, nursing homes, long-term care facilities, and anywhere with people with lung diseases, weakened or suppressed immune systems, or elderly residents.
 
“Outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease have been linked in the past to plumbing systems, cooling towers, hot tubs, hot water tanks and heaters, decorative fountains, and even showerheads,” said Frank Selamie, President of CTSI. “In New York, cooling towers have been a common culprit. This is why all owners of cooling towers in the state are required to register, maintain, sample, disinfect, and notify local health departments and the public of elevated levels of Legionella. New York City even has additional regulations.”
 
CTSI, with offices in Florida and New York that provide services across the nation, offers building owners and managers with Legionella and other water quality programs to detect, prevent, and mitigate exposure risks to building occupants. These services are conducted by industrial hygiene and environmental experts that comply with national standards and any local and state regulations.
 
To learn more about Legionella or other industrial hygiene, indoor air quality, environmental, health, and safety services, please visit www.ctsiweb.com, email contactus@ctsiweb.com , or call (212) 971-7016. 
 
About CTSI
Established in 1992, Consulting & Testing Services, Inc. (CTSI) was founded on one strong commitment: to provide efficient and expert services to clients based on professionalism, innovation, and cost-effective expert solutions. This commitment has been furthered with CTSI’s reputation in fostering client relationships in all sectors of the Environmental, Health, Safety, and Construction industries. CTSI prides itself in utilizing a high quality service based on its diverse team of staff and professionals’ concise recommendations and solutions to the most pressing dilemmas. The company operates offices in New York and Florida that service clients across the United States.
 

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

Contact via E-mail