Legionella Proves Stubborn Foe At Westernport Senior Site
WESTERNPORT, Md. (AP) -- The Allegany County Housing Authority says it's still trying to eradicate Legionella bacteria from a Westernport senior-citizen apartment complex four months after a resident there was diagnosed with Legionnaires disease.
The Cumberland Times-News reports that the water at Grandview Apartments was recently treated with high
levels of chlorine in an attempt to kill the bacteria.
An agency official says an earlier attempt to kill the bacteria by super-heating the water was initially successful but the germs returned. She says the agency has contracted with a private firm for further testing.
Meanwhile, residents are being told to bathe rather than shower and to use distilled water in their medical devices.
The bacteria spread through water vapor. Symptoms of Legionnaires disease resemble pneumonia, including high fever, chest pain and cough.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
