Ohio becomes the
second state where
a person died from the Legionnaires outbreak
19-year-old allegedly told witnesses that drugs made him run over an 11-year-old girl
William Barr says a "high level group" is being formed to counter foreign interference into the 2020 Presidential Election
Legionnaires' Disease CDC
Ohio becomes the second state
where a person died from the
Legionnaires outbreak
by Nathan'ette Burdine: June 3, 2019
Ohio becomes the second state, after New Jersey, where the Legionnaires outbreak resulted in the death of one person and seven confirmed cases.
There are five deaths and 22 confirmed cases of the Legionnaires outbreak in New Jersey. The person who died in Ohio was a patient at Mount Carmel Grove City Hospital. The individual's name and age have not been released to the public.
The Legionnaires outbreak occurred on April 29, 2019, a day after Mount Carmel Grove City Hospital opened its doors.
It must be noted that the Legionnaires outbreak in Ohio is within the same time frame as the Legionnaires outbreak in New Jersey which is from March 8, 2019, to May 13, 2019.
Another important point to note is that although the time frames of the Legionnaires outbreak between the two states are the same, there have been no confirmations on whether the people who are infected had contact with individuals in New Jersey or Ohio.
Dr. Richard Streck is the chief of clinical operations at Mount Carmel Grove City Hospital.
He told WBNS that the hospital is working with the state and Franklin County officials to determine the cause of the Legionnaires outbreak.
WBNS quoted Dr. Streck as saying, "We are running additional tests on water sources throughout Mount Carmel Grove City, and our entire water supply is undergoing supplemental disinfection."
Some of the actions the hospital have taken are cleaning the hospital's water lines, updated maintenance on air conditions, and using bottled water.
Ohio State Department Health Director Dr. Amy Acton has also spoke about the issue.
WBNS quoted her as saying, "The Ohio Department of Health continues to work closely with Franklin County Public Health and the Mount Carmel Hospital System as we work to ensure patient safety."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that people who are 50 years and older and have significant health issues like lung disease and or a weaken immune system have a greater chance of dying if they get Legionnaires disease.
The CDC further notes that 25% of the people die if they are infected with the Legionnaires disease while patients at a "healthcare facility."
It is due to the high number of deaths that occur in healthcare facilities that the CDC encourages people who may be showing signs such as a fever, headache, or shortness of breath of the Legionnaires disease to contact their healthcare provider if they've stayed overnight in a hospital in the last two weeks.
The Legionnaires disease is caused by the Legionella bacteria which can be found in contaminated water or the air.
A person who gets the Legionnaires disease will also get Pontiac Fever. Pontiac Fever is not as deadly as the Legionnaires disease and it typically passes on its own within a week.
Antibiotics is used to treat the Legionnaires disease. There are no vaccines to immunize a person from the disease.
The CDC recommends cleaning infected areas and putting in place better water management programs.