Legionella Found In Water At Baltimore's Harbor Tunnel Building

BALTIMORE, MD — Maryland state health officials confirmed Friday that Legionella was found in the water system at the MDTA I-895/Baltimore Harbor Tunnel facility. Legionella is a pathogenic bacteria that can cause pneumonia- and flu-like symptoms in people who come in contact with it.

According to Maryland State Health Department spokeswoman Diedre McCabe, 19 of 28 samples collected at the facility July 10 tested positive for Legionella, though at very low concentrations. Tests were done again July 12 following water treatment, and results showed significant improvement — only one of the 28 samples came back positive, again at very low concentrations.

After two employees recently were diagnosed with Legionnaires Disease, the Maryland Transportation Authority made the decision to shut down its Baltimore Harbor Tunnel cash toll booths June 9 pending the health officials' review. Operations at the facility resumed July 12.

Despite the confirmed presence of Legionella, officials couldn’t confirm whether the bacteria was responsible for two building employees contracting the disease, the Daily Record reported.

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