The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has closed several buildings it rents in Atlanta because Legionella bacteria have been found in its water systems, CNN reported Friday.
No one has so far reported feeling ill, the CDC said.
The bacteria probably grew during the prolonged closure of pandemics, and can be inhaled as drops of water, causing respiratory disease, including short-circuiting, pneumonia and even death.
Researchers discovered Legionella among people who attended a 1976 Philadelphia Convention of the American Legion.
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David Krause, an expert in recognizing, evaluating and controlling Legionella in building systems, said the recent shutdowns of hotels, schools and office buildings could lead to stagnant water in the lines and widespread outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease.
“Legionella does grow in refrigeration, outside equipment, and can lead to widespread outbreaks of disease, but the common myth is that people contract it inside the building because the Legionella bacteria blow through the channels,” Krause said. “That’s not the case.”
When buildings are empty, the chlorine disinfectant is consumed in the water and bacteria thrive and grow.
“During the recent closures of our leased space in Atlanta, operated by the General Services Administration (GSA), CDC directed the landlord to take protective action,” the CDC said in a statement to CNN. “Despite its best efforts, CDC has been informed that Legionella, which can cause Legionnaires’ disease, is present in a cooling tower, as well as in some water sources in the buildings. Out of an abundance of caution, we have these buildings closed until successful remedy is completed. “
Legionnaires’ disease is considered rare. Last year, 177 people contracted Legionnaires’ disease, according to the state Department of Health.
That number included known cases of an outbreak at an Atlanta Sheraton hotel that threatened the Dragon Convent this summer. At least one person died from the outbreak and more than 60 people became ill, the health department said.
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A lawsuit in connection with the outbreak is ongoing, in part because of the pandemic.
Attorney Jeffrey Diamond said with each extension of the Georgia Supreme Court’s judicial declaration, deadlines for cases will be “reversed.”
“To my understanding, the courts are open, but are primarily concerned with criminal cases, which take priority,” Diamond said. “So we are still in the plea phase of our case, with not much extra progress.”
He said a number of occupations have already been agreed, and others are in the process of being negotiated, but he believes the regulated claims are confidential and cannot be disclosed.
In 2018, Georgia’s numbers were even higher, with 191 reported cases of Legionnaires’ disease.
The CDC reported 4,294 cases nationwide in 2019. So far this year, 1,813 cases have been reported across the country.
Testing is best performed by a trained and competent professional, Krause said.
While it is for sale online, “test tests often yield false negative results and without experience and training, a homeowner or layperson would probably not know how to interpret the results,” he said.
Krause criticized the CDC’s recommendation for flushing water lines to remove potential bacterial growth.
The schools, offices and even hospitals that need to test the water system the most are probably already overwhelmed by costs associated with protecting staff and visitors from coronavirus, Krause said.
“Flushing the water will do absolutely nothing,” Krause said. “And so they advise people to basically bring a knife to a gunfight.”
Legionnaires’ disease affects some people even years after wiping out the bacterial infection. Stephanie Osterhout contracted the disease after a stay in a newly opened hotel three years ago.
Today, she complains of asthma and rheumatoid arthritis that she expects to leave in a wheelchair one day.
