CDC says bacterial infection that spreads through showers, faucets and AC units has killed 80 and hospitalized 500 in US
A lung infection that lurks in drinking water has killed dozens of Americans and sent hundreds to the ER, a new official report warns.
From 2015 to 2020, the bacteria Legionella caused 184 disease outbreaks in the US, resulting in 786 illnesses, 544 hospitalizations and 86 deaths.
The CDC looked at other disease causing pathogens and resulting outbreaks as well, including norovirus and the bacteria Shigella, bring the total number of water-linked disease outbreaks to 214.
The new CDC report said most outbreaks and illnesses – 79 percent and 52 percent – could be traced back to public water systems that supply tab water to homes, office buildings, and hospitals.
Outbreaks caused by legionella specifically spiked after 2015, according to the report’s authors, who urged public health departments across the country to shore up their capacity to detect water-linked disease threats as they arise.
The CDC investigators said: ‘During 2015–2020, Legionella-associated outbreaks continued to increase and were the leading cause of nationally reported drinking water-related outbreaks, hospitalizations, and deaths.
‘This trend was primarily influenced by the increasing number and proportion of Legionella-associated outbreaks linked with community and noncommunity water systems.’
Legionella bacteria spreads when a person inhales aerosols that have been contaminated with it, including from water towers, air conditioning units, hot and cold water systems, humidifiers, and spas.
The microscopic pathogen can cause Legionnaire’s disease, a potentially fatal pneumonia, or Pontiac fever, a less serious illness.
About one in 10 people who do become sick will die. The odds of death are higher when the disease is contracted in a hospital setting, with at least one in four dying.
Last year, 71-year-old Barbara Kruschwitz from Massachusetts died of Legionnaire’s just one week after staying at the Mountain View Grand Resort in Whitefield.
Her husband Henry said she had gone swimming in the pool and at the hot tub at the resort, but he hadn’t.
He said: ‘Her heart had stopped and she couldn’t be revived. And — that’s about as much as I can say.’
Early symptoms of Legionnaire’s include fever, loss of appetite, headache, lethargy, muscle pain, and diarrhea. The severity can range from a mild cough to fatal pneumonia, and treating infection early with antibiotics is key for survival.