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Lancaster County Prison was notified that a former inmate tested positive at a State County Institution for Legionnaires' Disease also known as Legionella Pneumonia on Friday, Aug. 11.
A probe of the prison was launched on Aug. 21, and trace amounts of Legionella were found in a sink "within the cell where the inmate resided within the prison’s Medical Housing Unit," Lancaster County Commissioners Office Communications Director Michael Fitzpatrick explained in a release on Aug. 30.
After that 40 more tests throughout the building were ordered by the county. Before the results returned "a Hyper Chlorination process was completed for the entire MHU to disinfect and kill off any bacteria within the system," Fitzpatrick said. Six preliminary positive test results from the Highrise Building were reported on Aug. 28, county officials announced.
After learning of the positive tests, "LCP removed any inmates from cells where tests came back preliminary positive," as stated in the release.
Lancaster County General Services ordered additional sanitizing through hyper chlorination of the water systems within the Highrise Building starting on Wednesday, Aug. 30. The process will take three days, according to the release.
Due to extremely high chlorination inmates and staff will be unable to use the water, so the prison will be moving inmates to alternate housing and will also provide inmates with bottled beverages and bagged meals.
"Normal operations will continue during this time including block out and visitation," Fitzpatrick explained.
Follow-up tests to confirm there is no longer any Legionella in the facility will be conducted in two weeks.
Staff and inmates continue to be monitored for symptoms of the bacteria.
Legionnaires’ disease is a type of lung infection caused by bacteria called Legionella. Symptoms, which can take up to two weeks to develop, can include fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle aches, and headache. If Legionnaires’ disease is suspected, only tests ordered by a doctor can confirm the diagnosis. Legionnaires’ disease is treatable with antibiotics.
People over the age of 50, especially those who smoke, or those with certain medical conditions, including weakened immune systems, chronic lung disease or other chronic health conditions, are at increased risk for Legionnaires’ disease if exposed.
Legionnaires’ disease is transmitted by breathing in small droplets of water containing Legionella bacteria. Aerosolized water can come from cooling towers, hot tubs, cooling water misters, decorative fountains, and plumbing systems. Home air conditioning units do not use water to cool and are not a risk for Legionella growth.
Legionella outbreaks are on the rise worldwide with more than 10,000 new cases reported in the USA each year since 2018, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There are currently active cases at a hotel in Las Vegas, the City and Town of Ithaca, two counties in New Jersey, and a US military base in Poland.
You can read more about the disease on the CDC website by clicking here.
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