In Pittsburgh Prison, Legionella Contamination Resulted In Death Of Doctor
By Sara Jerome,
@sarmje
A prison in Pittsburgh, PA, is struggling with Legionella bacteria, which is often transmitted through water fountains and showers.
The medical director of a state correctional institution in Pittsburgh died of what appears to have been Legionnaires’ Disease, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported.
Joseph Mollura, 60, died August 8 of pneumonia-related complications, the report said. Prison officials found out about the Legionella problem at the prison three months before he died, the Tribune-Review reported, citing public records.
“A May 12 report on a May 4 sample showed that the No. 1 water cooling tower, which served the prison's medical department, had a concentration of 430 colony-forming units per milliliter of Legionella bacteria. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends that any water cooling that has 100 cfu/ml or more undergo a cleaning and biocide treatment,” the report said.
Most cases of Legionnaires’ disease in the U.S. occur “in private homes with no common link other than their water supply, underscoring that drinking water distribution systems are the ultimate source of outbreaks,” Chemical & Engineering News reported.
People contract the bacteria responsible for Legionnaires' disease “by inhaling water droplets tainted by the bacteria. It often happens while taking a shower or drinking from a water fountain,” the Tribune-Review reported.
Public records reflect internal confusion about efforts to address the Legionella problem, according to the the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
“The original report of the cooling tower being drained and cleaned was inaccurate,” Robert McSurdy, chief of the department's safety and environmental protection division, wrote. “Therefore, a super chlorination will occur to eliminate the Legionella bacteria growth in the cooling tower.”
Officials declined to comment, and “Mollura's family has retained a lawyer to investigate the matter,” Becker Hospital Review reported.
For similar stories visit Water Online’s Drinking Water Contaminant Removal Solutions Center.