Source: http://www.wfaa.com, July 17, 2015
Multiple water samples at a community living center in Bonham, TX tested positive for a bacteria commonly linked to a form of pneumonia, according to the VA Health Care System of North Texas.
The Veterans Health Administration tested 24 samples in June, following a directive launched last year that requires testing water for Legionella.
A total of five water faucet samples contained traces of Legionella pneumophila, which can cause Legionnaires’ Disease, a severe form of pneumonia. Three samples initially tested positive and were deactivated from service at the Bonham Community Living Center, which houses veterans.
Repeat tests showed five samples testing positive for the bacteria.
The center a hyper chlorination flush performed this week solves the issue. More tests were done after the chlorine flush, for which results are expected next week.
According to the VA of North Texas, no cases of Legionnaire’s Disease have been linked to Bonham, a city located about 70 miles northwest of Dallas.
Staff members were put on “heightened awareness” for symptoms of Legionnaires’ Disease, the VA of North Texas said in a statement. It will also continue to monitor all pneumonia patients for possible LD cases.
Water testing will be done every three months moving forward, according to the VA’s statement.
Legionnaires’ Disease can’t be transmitted from one person to another and is most commonly contracted when people breathe in “a mist or vapor” containing the bacteria, according to the Center for Disease Control.
The CDC states that people over 50, current or former smokers and those with weak immune systems are most at risk of getting LD. It also states that most people exposed to the bacteria don’t contract the disease.