4th Legionnaires’ disease case now associated with outbreak at senior home in Florida

A fourth case of Legionnaires’ disease has been confirmed at Camellia at Deerwood, home for the elderly in Jacksonville, Fla.

Department of Health spokesman Charles Griggs said that two residents developed pneumonia associated with Legionella bacteria in March and April.  This observation caused the Department of Health to investigate further and they discovered that there was a related case in November 2013.  Another case this month was confirmed while the investigation was still ongoing.

Perry Brown, facility manager at Camellia, did not say whether any additional residents have become ill since the public health advisory was released by the Duval County Health Department on April 21, but he did say “we are working directly with the Health Department to keep our residents safe.”

To read more about this story, please click here.

New Legionnaires' disease cases at Jules Zacher, PC

Jules Zacher was recently retained to represent one of the victims of the Legionnaires' disease outbreak at IU Health University Hospital in Indianapolis, IN.   He was also retained for three cases involving the outbreak at the Integrated Health Campus in Allentown, PA that sickened at least 8 patients or visitors of the health facility.

Jules Zacher is an attorney at law who has been practicing for over 35 years.  He is known across the country for his experience with Legionnaires’ disease cases and has been recommended numerous times by both clients and other attorneys.

He has had success representing victims of Legionnaires’ disease in federal and state courts across the country and is currently working on numerous cases in Hawaii, California, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York.

Legionnaires’ disease lawsuits at VA Pittsburgh hospitals settled

Families of VA Pittsburgh patients who had contracted Legionnaires’ disease are relieved that a settlement has been reached in the lawsuit against the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System.  They remain frustrated, however, that VA personnel will not be held accountable for the outbreak which included at least 22 illnesses and 6 deaths.

“I’m relieved it’s over, but it’s not nearly what they deserved,” said Debbie Balawejder whose father was 85-year-old Frank “Sonny” Calcagno, who died Nov. 22, 2011 due to Legionnaires’ disease.

“To me, what they did was criminal,” Balawejder continued.  “They’re never going to pay the way they should for what they did.”

U.S. Rep. Keith Rothfus agreed that “these settlements have nothing to do with holding the individuals responsible for [the veterans’] deaths accountable.”

Rep Rothfus also said that there are still “questions that the VA must answer.”

Multiple other members of congress have been involved in this Veterans Affairs situation, including Reps. Tom Murphy and Mike Doyle, and Senators Bob Casey and Pat Toomey.

To read more about this story, please click here.

Charleville Hospital’s theater to close again

The Charleville Hospital located in Australia will have to close its theater once again to have its plumbing replaced.  The theater was closed for several months last year due to the finding of Legionella bacteria, and has plans to close again in May or June of this year.

Meryl Brumpton from the South-West Hospital and Health Service says these are necessary precautions to ensure that the bacteria do not return.

“Because we’ve got old plumbing, it has dead legs in it, so water can sit in places for periods of time and the Legionella can grow, so that’s one major risk,” she was reported saying.

According to Ms. Brumpton, nearly $5 million is being invested to raise the hospital to good standards.

It is anticipated for the refurbishment to finish at the beginning of next year.

Man travelling from Singapore to Australia contracts Legionnaires’ disease

An employee of the Jan De Nul Group at the Fortescue Metals Group camp in South Hedland in West Australia has been in the hospital for a week battling a severe form of Legionnaires’ disease.

He became symptomatic while staying at the camp earlier this March and was diagnosed after being flown out for treatment.

The man had travelled from Singapore on a Jan De Nul vessel to spend several weeks in February working in Port Hedland.

A spokesman at Fortescue Metals Group claimed that the camp had no sources in which the man could have contracted Legionnaires’ disease, a potentially deadly form of pneumonia.  However, he also said that “as a precautionary measure we are undertaking testing around the site.”

http://www.legionnairelawyer.com/man-travelling-from-singapore-to-australia-contracts-legionnaires-disease/ 

West Texas VA still addressing Legionella problem in water supply

CBS recently spoke with VA officials to follow-up on the Legionella bacteria situation.

West Texas VA found Legionella in their water system in September 2013 and underwent remediation to disinfect the system.  Subsequent tests over the last few months still showed a presence of the bacteria.  The hospital has since treated the water system by super heating the water and chlorinating four different times.

According to officials at the West Texas VA, the Department of Veterans Affairs requires that hospitals test their water once a year, but that they intend to test more often than the VA requirement.

To read more about treatment the various treatment methods that are available, please visit The Journal of Legionella and the Law.

Two patients with Legionnaires’ disease die at IU Health University Hospital

The IU (Indiana University) Health University Hospital announced yesterday, February 4 that two of its patients diagnosed with Legionnaires ’ disease had died.

According to the medical director of infection control for Indiana University Health, Dr. Douglas Webb, one patient’s death was linked to Legionnaires’ disease, a pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria; the other patient who died also had Legionella pneumonia, but it is unclear whether or not this illness was a major contributing factor to the death.

Indiana University Health tested its water system after the second diagnosis of Legionnaires’ disease and found Legionella bacteria.  The hospital tests its water regularly, but Webb said this is the first instance he’s known the hospital to test positive for Legionella.  IU Health workers treated the hospital’s water over the weekend and subsequent tests results showed that the attempts were successful in eradicating the bacteria from the system.

In the summer of 2012, Kent Carson, a 55-year-old man from Round Lake Beach outside of Chicago, became ill with a severe case of Legionnaires’ disease.  The severity of his case necessitated the amputation of both his legs below the knee, and left arm below the elbow.  His especially severe case, along with the other current cases and outbreaks, prompt questions about ‘safe levels’ of Legionellaand the cost of a life.

While recovering, Carson warned that “Legionnaires’ disease is still out there…It needs to be prevented and diagnosed.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 8,000-18,000 people in the U.S. are hospitalized each year for Legionnaires’ disease, and 5-30% of these cases are fatal.  “With the increase over the last 10 years, enough people are sick and dying – what’s the cost of a life?” Carson asked.

To read more about Kent Carson’s story, please visit the Chicago Tribune for the full article.