Background

There are a growing number of cases of Legionella associated disease in the United States due to aging municipal water systems. These cases are not a result of traditional Legionella exposures such as air conditioning cooling towers, but as a result of exposure to spas, showers, fountains, or other water sources that are aerosolized.

In a large outbreak of Legionella associated disease cases, Rimkus worked with a large company where several of the claimants claimed they contracted Legionella following a visit to the company. Rimkus reviewed the epidemiological data along with environmental testing data collected by the state health department. Rimkus was able to determine that there were flaws in how the data was collected and was able to link the exposure to alternative sources other than the company’s building.