Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Local health officials say it’s not unusual for cases of Legionnaires' disease and/or Pontiac fever to be identified in Livingston County.

The Livingston County Health Department is working to educate the community about the bacteria. There have been recent posts circulating on social media about a potential local case of pneumonia allegedly caused by Legionella.

Legionella bacteria are found naturally in freshwater environments at generally low levels. Legionella only poses a health risk when growth occurs in warm stagnant water, the water is aerosolized, and the small droplets are inhaled.

The Livingston County Health Department says people do not typically get sick from drinking water containing Legionella bacteria, rather symptoms are induced through inhalation. When Legionella bacteria grow in the biofilm of plumbing and are aerosolized through devices such as showers, cooling towers, hot tubs, or fountains, people can breathe in small, contaminated water droplets that enter the lungs, resulting in Legionnaires’ disease or a milder version called Pontiac fever.

Legionnaires’ Disease is a bacterial disease caused by Legionella that results in a severe, sometimes life-threatening, pneumonia. Certain people are at increased risk for infection, but it's treatable with antibiotics. Pontiac fever is a mild respiratory disease that gets better without treatment.

The Department says it is not unusual for cases of Legionnaires' disease and/or Pontiac fever to be identified in Livingston County. Since 2020, 40 confirmed cases of Legionnaires' disease have been reported in Livingston County.

When a case is reported to the Health Department, it says staff will follow-up with a call to the patient to collect information about possible sources of exposure. That information is used to look for commonalities between other reported cases across the country. If multiple cases report visiting the same location, the Department begins a more in-depth investigation - which could involve collecting water samples for testing to identify a source of the bacteria. The Department noted that sometimes, the source of infection is never found.

Health Department Director/Health Officer Matt Bolang tells WHMI that Legionella is not a communicable disease so the department generally does not comment on positive cases unless there is a greater public health risk in a community.

Bolang noted that they do occasionally get cases in the county, noting Legionella bacteria can be found in all different kinds of water systems, as well as the natural environment and built environment.

He said if they get multiple cases at a similar location, then a more thorough investigation is done to try and pinpoint the source of Legionella in that system. For single cases, he said they typically do not because there is no connection to a facility, water supply, or building when there’s just one case.

Bolang stressed that the public and municipal water systems are great in Livingston County and all have really strict standards on sampling and treatment so he’s not worried about the quality of local drinking water. He said Legionella tends to be more of a concern within a building when it comes in contact with heating and cooling systems, or fountains or aerosol ties through shower heads and mists and sprays that people come in contact with and inhale through the lungs.

Bolang added that this is a good opportunity to help educate the public on Legionella because it is a bacteria in the environment and some people are more susceptible to becoming infected. He said the department does investigate those sorts of cases and will follow up to make sure there’s not a greater risk to the community and “that’s what we're here for”.

More information is available in the provided links and attached fact sheet.