Legionnaires' Disease Outbreak at a Long-Term Care Facility Caused by a Cooling Tower Using an Automated Disinfection System--Ohio, 2013

J Environ Health. 2015 Dec;78(5):8-13.

Abstract

On July 9, 2013, an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease (LD) was identified at Long-Term Care Facility A in central Ohio. This article describes the investigation of the outbreak and identification of the outbreak source, a cooling tower using an automated biocide delivery system. In total, 39 outbreak LD cases were identified; among these, six patients died. Water samples from a cooling tower were positive for Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1, reactive to monoclonal antibody 2, with matching sequence type to a patient isolate. An electronic control system turned off cooling tower pumps during low-demand periods, preventing delivery of disinfectant by a timed-release system, and leading to amplification of Legionella in the cooling tower. Guidelines for tower maintenance should address optimal disinfection when using automated systems.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Air Conditioning
  • Disease Outbreaks*
  • Disinfectants / administration & dosage
  • Disinfection / instrumentation
  • Disinfection / methods*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Legionella pneumophila / classification
  • Legionella pneumophila / isolation & purification
  • Legionella pneumophila / physiology*
  • Legionnaires' Disease / epidemiology*
  • Legionnaires' Disease / microbiology
  • Legionnaires' Disease / mortality
  • Long-Term Care
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Nursing Homes*
  • Ohio / epidemiology
  • Water Microbiology*

Substances

  • Disinfectants