One of our staff members at the
Richmond Health Center has passed away,
and tests on Monday showed that he had
I'm Dr. William Walker, Director of
Contra Costa Health Services and the
County Health Officer,
I understand that not only are we mourning the
loss of a co-worker but also that this illness can
cause concern, so I would like to share with
you some information about the disease and
what steps we are taking to ensure
patients and staff are safe.
Legionnaires‘ disease is a pneumonia-like infection that
is not contagious and not spread person to person.
A person gets infected by breathing in
water mist contaminated with Legionella bacteria.
Although Legionnaires can be a serious disease,
it is important to remember that
most people who are exposed to the
Legionella bacteria do not get sick.
And most people who do get ill,
recover with treatment.
People with underlying health conditions are
at higher risk of serious complications.
We generally have 3 to 10 cases of
Legionnaires identified in the county each year,
with one confirmed case in
Contra Costa County so far this year.
Annually, there are about
8,000 to 18,000 people hospitalized with
Legionnaires in the United States.
The vast majority of these cases are
sporadic, or random, with no particular source of
the bacteria ever identified.
Legionella bacteria naturally occurs in the environment,
especially in hot water systems such as hot tubs,
cooling towers and decorative fountains.
In 2008, another Richmond Health Center
employee was diagnosed with
Legionnaires disease and treated.
Where this employee contracted this illness was
never confirmed, but we took precautions then that
have continued today.
In cooperation with Cal-OSHA and the
state health department, we tested the
building's air and water supplies in 2008.
Tests indicated that the water in the
health center's cooling tower may have
contained the bacteria, which is very
common in air conditioning systems.
To address this issue then,
we disinfected the heating and
cooling system and continue to do so
on a regular basis.
We are testing the
building‘s water system again.
We expect that at least some of the
samples will show Legionelle, as the
bacteria is frequently found in water
whenever it is tested for.
There have not been any other cases of
Legionnaires identified, and we consider
the health center to be safe for both
staff and patients.
Legionnaires' disease can be
hard to diagnose initially.
Early symptoms are similar to the
common flu and other conditions and include
a high fever, chills and a cough.
Some people may even suffer from
muscle aches and headaches.
If you have become ill, especially if you have
underlying health conditions such as chronic lung disease, or
are immunocompromised, contact your health care provider so
that you can receive correct diagnosis and
treatment for your particular illness.
I wish I could assure you that there is
absolutely no danger of anyone in Contra Costa being
diagnosed with Legionnaires‘ disease.
Of course that isn't possible since it is a bacteria that
many people are exposed to in a variety of settings.
We may never know for certain where our
employee contracted the illness but we will continue to
take every precaution necessary.
Our first priority is to ensure the safety of
our employees and patients.
You can find out more information about Legionnaires‘ disease on our website at http://www.cchealth.org/topics/legionnaires