Presence of Legionella in Oakland County Courthouse found after trend of illnesses
PONTIAC, Mich. (FOX 2) - Health officials in Oakland County are taking immediate action after they found the presence of Legionella at the County Courthouse.
This comes after a custodian working at the Oakland County Sheriff's Office was diagnosed with Legionnaires' Disease.
What they're saying:
The county said on Friday that the Facilities Management Department received water test results indicating the presence of Legionella in four sites in the County Courthouse. They say they are taking action to install filters on the tested fixtures and others in the same water loop and flush the water wherever they can and will temporarily close fixtures that can not be worked on.
They say the facility will continue to undergo periodic testing.
According to the county, an individual who did not work for the county tested positive for Legionnaires' disease in April and listed the Oakland County Courthouse as among the places they visited during their exposure period.
The county tested water sources in 11 locations inside the courthouse.
The presence of Legionella was found in the men’s bathrooms on the first and third floors and two sinks in the cafeteria.
"By taking immediate corrective action to remediate the presence of the bacteria, we’re ensuring a safe environment for Oakland County employees and visitors to the courthouse," said Oakland County Health Officer Kate Guzman.
Then in November, an employee tested positive for Legionnaires' disease, leading to Legionella bacteria being found in the Sheriff’s Administration building in December.
Custodian sickened by Legionnaires' Disease found in Oakland County building
Workers were sent home and the building will remain closed until the disease is purged.
Dig deeper:
In September, General Motors temporarily shut down one of its buildings after two of the automaker's employees at the Cole Engineering Center became sickened by Legionnaires' disease.
The two GM workers employed at the Cole Engineering Center in Warren tested positive for Legionnaires' disease, which led to GM, out of an abundance of caution, deciding to close the building.
GM added that it had tested for bacteria at the tech center and had not found any sources of Legionnaires' disease. It has hired a third-party company to do additional testing, but said the Cole Engineering Center has not been confirmed as the source.
What you can do:
Because the Legionella bacteria can cause severe cases of pneumonia, anyone who has recently visited the sheriff's administration building that is experiencing flu-like symptoms should seek medical care.
Anyone with questions can call the Oakland Connects Helpline at 800-848-5533.