Cluster of Legionellosis Cases Associated with Manufacturing Process, South Carolina, USA, 2022

Details

• Personal Author:
  Mohamed, Hani M. ; Zielinski, Lindsay ; Diedhiou, Abdoulaye ; Clemmons, Nakia S. ; Smith, Jessica C. ; Rinsky, Jessica L. ; Ritter, Troy L. ; Willby, Melisa ; Burton, Nancy C. ; Feldmann, Karl D. ; Dunn, Kevin H. ; Whisenhunt, Rebecca ; Greer, Victoria ; Acosta, Alberto M. ; Garber, Mitchell A. ; Lucas, Claressa E. ; Henderson, Kelley C. ; Edens, Chris ; Bell, Linda
  More +
• Description:
  Evolving technology and the development of new devices that can aerosolize water present a risk for new sources of Legionella bacteria growth and spread within industrial settings. We investigated a cluster of legionellosis among employees of a manufacturing facility in South Carolina, USA, and found 2 unique equipment sources of Legionella bacteria. The cluster of cases took place during August-November 2022; a total of 34 cases of legionellosis, including 15 hospitalizations and 2 deaths, were reported. Legionella pneumophila was isolated from 3 devices: 2 water jet cutters and 1 floor scrubber. L. pneumophila sequence type 36 was identified in environmental isolates and 1 patient specimen, indicating that those devices were the likely source of infection. Remediation was ultimately achieved through the development and implementation of a device-specific water management program. Manufacturing facilities that use aerosol-generating devices should consider maintaining updated Legionella water management programs to prevent Legionella bacterial infections. Description provided by NIOSH
• Subjects:
  • Legionnaires' Disease
  • Occupational Exposure
  • Occupational Health
  • Safety
• Keywords:
  • Legionnaires disease; Legionellosis; Aerosols; Manufacturing; Bacterial infections; Water sprays; Occupational exposure; Exposure assessment; Cutting tools; Control methods
• Source:
  Emerg Infect Dis 2025 Jan; 31(1):41-49
• Series:
  Emerging Infectious Diseases
• ISSN:
  1080-6040
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Atlanta Region OSHA ; Chicago Region OSHA ; Georgia ; Illinois ; New York ; New York City Region OSHA ; Ohio ; South Carolina
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  9 pdf pages
• Volume:
  31
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071560
• Contact Point Address:
  Hani Mohamed, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, 2100 Bull St, Columbia, SC 29201, USA
• Email:
  mohamehm@dph.sc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/259335/cdc_259335_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.03 MB]
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:eb3df4e4eb7d55f550f83249572b276038d567e0d742ebbe726dd8be3dbc4f5104da89ff2913b9306ad9928938ee2eff0948ce818dece7d0b04e8ed57a4618f4