Protecting families from contaminated food and water
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Protecting families from contaminated food and water
Posted in Legionella,Legionnaire's disease,Outbreaks & Recalls on September 23, 2024
Erie County Department of Health notified a local long-term care facility of Legionnaires’ disease at Pleasant Ridge Manor after a former patient became sick. The announcement prompted a response to this diagnosis.
Pleasant Ridge Manor, a long-term skilled nursing care facility located at 8300 W. Ridge Road in Fairview, Pennsylvania recently received reports of a former patient falling sick with Legionnaires’ disease. A type of pneumonial illness caused by airborne Legionella bacteria.
Pleasant Ridge Manor
8300 W Ridge Road
Girard, Pennsylvania 16417
While Legionnaires’ disease is not contagious and is not a communicable illness, it could be a sign of a contaminated water system.
Following reports of the presumptive case of Legionnaires’ disease at Pleasant Ridge Manor, the facility activated its infectious disease response protocol. The manor is cooperating with Erie County Department of Health as well as a certified water management consultant to review their systems.
This may include testing water samples at various places, assessing water treatment protocols, and/or facility design.
In a statement meant to explain the situation what the facility is doing to mitigate the situation, Pleasant Ridge Manor executive director Brad Donor, NHA put forth a statement.
“We understand that hearing about a presumptive case of Legionnaires’ Disease can be concerning for our residents, their families, and our staff,” says Donor. “We want to reassure everyone that we are taking this situation very seriously. Our team is working diligently with public health officials and experts in environmental safety to ensure that every necessary measure is being taken to safeguard the health and well-being of everyone in our case.”
Donor indicates that they will keep community members updated as the investigation continues.
The announcement mentions that a “presumptive case” of Legionnaires’ disease at Pleasant Ridge Manor has prompted an investigation.
But what is meant by “presumptive?”
When used to describe an illness, the term presumptive can mean a few different things.
Most of the time, presumptive means that the illness has symptoms consistent with those of a type of illness. Oftentimes, presumptive is used when no test has been performed to confirm the diagnosis. This could be due to no sample being available (illness has passed before testing could be performed).
In cases of Legionnaires’ disease, “presumptive” may indicate that a screening test revealed the presence of Legionella bacteria species, but a culture analysis is required to confirm it. Until this confirmation is complete, the illness is considered “presumptive” for Legionnaires’ disease.
Legionnaires’ disease, is the illness caused by a lung infection with Legionella bacteria. This is one of the two illnesses associated with the harmful germ. The other being the less common and less severe Pontiac Fever.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that 1 in 20 people exposed to Legionella bacteria will become sick with Legionnaires’ disease.
1 in 20 people exposed to Legionella bacteria will contract Legionnaires’ disease!
Legionella are microscopic germs commonly associated with fresh water environments. Places like lakes, streams, and rivers. Unless aspirated (accidentally breathing in water), infections in these natural environments are rare.
Just about all cases of Legionnaires’ disease originated from man-made water sources. As is likely the case in the Legionnaires’ disease at Pleasant Ridge Manor situation.
It is unlikely the patient became sick from natural environmental exposure. If the patient became sick with Legionnaires’ disease at Pleasant Ridge Manor facility, it likely originated from their water supply.
People become infected when they inhale aerosolized water droplets containing the microscopic germs. When those germs make their way into the lungs of an unsuspecting person, they cause illness.
You may be thinking, “How does someone inhale water?”
Unfortunately, it isn’t as simple as obvious drowning. Even walking through a mist or turning on the shower could produce sufficient aerosolized water to make those bacteria fly through the air.
Common sources of Legionella bacteria include:
Walking past a decorative fountain, the use of cooling towers at the facility, and any combination of the above without proper water treatment can easily spread the bacteria.
In most cases, people begin feeling symptoms within two weeks. Many people report feeling sick between two and 14 days after exposure. In some cases, however, it takes much longer for symptoms to appear.
Fortunately, not everyone exposed to Legionella bacteria will develop illness. In fact, most normally healthy people exposed to the harmful germ will not become sick at all.
Certain other groups, on the other hand, are at higher risk of infection.
Those more likely to become sick or experience serious illness include:
If you have stayed at or visited Pleasant Ridge Manor in Fairview, Pennsylvania in the last 14 days, you should monitor yourself for symptoms.
Legionnaires’ disease is an often overlooked illness. Many times, it is misdiagnosed as typical pneumonia.
This is no major fault of the doctor. Legionnaires’ disease can be tricky to identify without notification of a potential exposure risk. It can even appear indistinguishable on a chest x-ray.
Specialized diagnostic tests are required for an accurate diagnosis.
Common Legionnaires’ disease symptoms include:
Other symptoms may include nausea, diarrhea, and/or confusion.
If you have become sick following exposure to Legionnaires’ disease at Pleasant Ridge Manor in Fairview, Pennsylvania, The Lange Law Firm, PLLC has a Legionnaires’ disease lawyer that can help!
The Lange Law Firm, PLLC has successfully represented Legionnaires’ disease cases just like yours, and they can help you too.
Call (833) 330-3663 or send an email for a free, no obligation consultation to go over the details of your situation and determine if you have a legal case for financial compensation.
By: Heather Van Tassell (Contributing Writer, non-lawyer)