During the pandemic, several states have also been dealing with mosquito-borne illnesses such as the West Nile Virus. Places left with stagnant water don't only increase the risk of infected mosquitoes; it can also be the source of Legionella bacteria.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported in early May that the water systems of closed buildings due to the lockdown have allowed large amounts of the bacteria to grow. Other waterborne pathogens have also grown in these areas for the past few months.
The bacteria causes Legionnaires disease or a severe form of pneumonia. It can also cause another illness called Pontiac fever. Infection can occur by inhaling the mist of contaminated water but cannot be spread from one person to another.
Symptoms include a cough, chills, and a high fever. A chest x-ray would be needed to diagnose pneumonia, while lab tests can specifically rule out Legionella bacteria.
Bacterial Growth In Closed Buildings
As lockdown measures have been lifted in the past month, the CDC reminds the public to be extra cautious when returning to buildings that have been shut down within the last few months. The CDC reported the bacteria to be present in their building in Atlanta, Georgia, that they had recently reopened.
The CDC shared that the bacteria was found in a cooling tower and other water sources of the building. The buildings have been closed until 'successful remediation is complete,' they said.
Mold commonly grows in showers and fountains that are not regularly cleaned. The elderly and those with asthma or other respiratory conditions are at high risk of getting infected from the bacteria.
Epidemiologist Chris Edens from the CDC's Legionella team said, "There is currently no nationwide surveillance of water systems for Legionella disease." The pandemic could have potentially increased the risk of Legionnaires pneumonia but is yet to be confirmed since there have not been systematic checks on buildings that have been closed since the country shut down.
Edens suggested that hospitals and clinics should be mindful of Legionella disease if patients attain pneumonia. "Flu and coronavirus are not the only things that can cause severe pneumonia," he explained. Unlike the two respiratory illnesses, legionella can be treated effectively with antibiotics.
READ: Legionnaires' Disease with COVID-19-like Symptoms Poses New Threat Post Lockdown
Flushing Water Systems
His team has been contacting hotels, office buildings, and factories to warn them about the spread of the bacteria. Stagnant water systems in these places, alongside the warm weather, are ideal conditions for bacterial growth. They have advised several companies to flush out water systems, like keep the tap water running so that the cold and hot systems can flush out waterborne pathogens that may have grown inside the piping.
There may be other microbial hazards, reported the CDC, "such as non-tuberculous mycobacteria, changes in water chemistry that lead to corrosion, leaching of metals (such as lead) into stagnant water, disinfection by-products, and sewer gases that enter buildings through dry, sanitary sewer drain traps." So far, around 1,800 cases of Legionella disease have been reported this year.
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