Two Maryland Nursing Home Residents Positive for Legionella
By injuheis on September 15, 2010
The Associated Press has reported that two Frederick County assisted living facility residents have tested positive for legionella.
Legionella is a bacteria known to cause Legionnaires Disease. Legionnaires attacks the respiratory system and can cause pneumonia, which can be fatal.
The Frederick County Health Department has stated that the infected residents live at the Tranquility Assisted Living Center in Fredericktowne, Maryland. The Center has not been identified as of yet as the source of the bacteria.
The two infected residents were treated at Frederick Memorial Hospital and released. One of the victims has returned to the facility.
Since Legionnaires can only be contracted by inhaling contaminated water vapors, the facility is requiring residents to drink bottled water and has brought in portable showers. There have been water restrictions at Tranquility since September 2nd.
Individuals most vulnerable to the disease include the elderly, people with compromised immune system and smokers.
I will keep you updated as I learn more information.
Legionnaire Outbreak at Miami Hotel “Likely” Caused by Faulty Water System
By injuheis on September 7, 2010
According to the Sun-Sentinel, the Miami-Dade Health Department says in a recent report that a faulty water system is ‘likely’ responsible for a 2009 Legionnaire’s outbreak that killed one and sickened nine others at a Miami Hotel.
The Department tested the water samples at the Epic, an upscale Biscayne Boulevard hotel, and the results linked the deadly bacteria to the hotel water system.
“A causal relationship is likely because of the extent of the contamination found in the hotel,” the report states.
But the report continues on to say that while it is ‘likely’ that the hotel is at fault, the results still do not conclusively prove that the hotel did anything wrong.
I’m sure that the family of the deceased victim and the nine guests who became ill are in disbelief that the Health Department failed to lay the blame squarely on the hotel. How can that be?
Well, even though the water samples taken from the hotel confirm that the Legionella bacteria was present, there is still a remote possibility that the ten victims acquired the disease from another source. It’s possible that all ten patronized a local restaurant or health club while staying at the hotel and were exposed to the bacteria at one of those locations.
Nonetheless, in order to rule out that the ten victims acquired the disease from another source, they need to retain the services of an epidemiologist.
Epidemiologists perform studies to determine what factors cause or contribute to disease. They also perform outbreak investigations to determine the initial source of an epidemic.
An epidemiologist in this case will compare the hotel guests who fell ill to the rest of the hotel guests and determine by statistical analysis which common link was likely the source.
An epidemiologist will play an important role in the Epic hotel case as the victims cannot prove their case in a court of law without one.
Legionnaire’s Disease May Be Living on Your Windshield
By injuheis on July 22, 2010
According to AOLHealth.com, the dirty water that comes off your windshield when the windshield wipers are on could be the source of 20 percent of Legionnaire’s disease cases. Britain’s Health Protection Agency found that the water is a breeding ground for Legionella bacterium, which can lead to pneumonia if it is breathed in.
The Agency found that professional drivers are 5 times more likely to catch the disease than the general population. As part of a study, people in England and Wales who had Legionnaire’s disease in 2009 were questioned. Researchers found that people who frequently rode in a van, typically through industrial areas with windows open, were most at risk to contract the disease.
The Agency then found that the bacterium which causes the disease was found on 20 percent of cars that did not have windshield wiper fluid, but no cars that did. The Agency is now encouraging all drivers to fill up with windshield wiper fluid, since it kills the bacteria.
Legionnaire’s disease is rare. Most of its victims are males over age 50. The early symptoms are very similar to the flu. Approximately 10 to 15 percent of patients with Legionnaire’s disease die from it. It is typically very challenging to find the source of the infection. However, there have been many instances throughout Maryland in which poorly maintained hospital or elderly care facilities exposed patients to Legionella bacterium, resulting in serious illness and even wrongful death.
If you or someone you know has contracted Legionnaire’s disease, and you believe it happened as the result of another party’s negligence, contact Steven H. Heisler, “The Injury Lawyer”, today. Mr. Heisler has significant experience with Legionnaire’s disease cases and can help you learn about your rights and obtain compensation for your illness. Call 877-228-4878 today for a free consultation with a skilled Maryland Legionnaire’s disease attorney.
Threats of Legionnaire’s Disease at NY Nursing Home Decline
By injuheis on April 26, 2010
Placing a loved one in a nursing home is often one of the most difficult decisions for a family to make, and doing so should not be taken lightly. It is important that family members do their research, visit the facility, meet employees, and give a specific nursing home a lot of thought before actually placing their loved one there. Another factor that many families may consider investigating before putting their loved one in a nursing home is researching any previous history of Legionella bacteria contaminating a facility’s water supply.
A recent Times Herald-Record article reports that after a December 2009 incident in which two elderly residents of the Golden Hill nursing home in New York contracted Legionnaires Disease, a third round of water tests have come back negative for Legionella bacteria. However, as a precaution, the facility has yet to remove its restrictions on water-use in, disallowing nursing home residents from drinking the water, taking a bath, or showering.
According to the news story, results from a fourth test for the bacteria will be returned next week. Such careful attention is indeed necessary, especially considering that one woman at the facility diagnosed with Legionnaires Disease died, although from a different illness. To help make the facility’s pipes once again safe to use, the facility will also be receiving a copper-silver ionization system to clean their water.
Incidents of Legionnaires Disease at nursing home facilities, schools, hospitals, and other establishments happen far too often throughout the United States and in Maryland. Property owners or facility managers may be held liable for failing to warn individuals visiting or living on a premises of any type of potential risk, whether that risk is posed by Legionnaires Disease or some other kind of illness. If you or someone you care about has contracting Legionnaires Disease on another person’s premises, get in touch with Steven H. Heisler, “The Injury Lawyer,” for a free evaluation of your case. As a skilled Legionnaires Disease attorney, Steven H. Heisler will fight to ensure that your rights are upheld in a court of law. To learn more about what can be done regarding your potential Legionnaire’s Disease case, please call 877-228-4878 today.
Source:http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100402/NEWS/4020330/-1/SITEMAP