Origin Of Essex County Legionnaires’ Cases Still Unknown: NJDOH

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — The working theory? A cluster of Legionnaires’ disease cases in Essex County were exposed to the bacteria outdoors, a state health official said Tuesday.

The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) recently announced that it launched a probe into eight suspected Legionnaires’ disease cases among people who live in or visited the county. The cases were reported to NJDOH between July 16 through July 26.

Officials didn’t release details about specific locations where the cases were reported in their July 30 advisory.

What is Legionnaires’ disease and how do people catch it? According to the NJDOH:

“Legionnaires’ disease is a type of pneumonia (lung infection) caused by bacteria called Legionella. People can get Legionnaires’ disease by breathing in aerosolized (small droplets) water containing Legionella bacteria. Aerosolized water can come from cooling towers (air-conditioning units for large buildings), hot tubs, cooling misters, decorative fountains, and plumbing systems. Less commonly, people can get sick by aspiration of tap water containing Legionella. This happens when water accidently goes into the lungs while drinking (“goes down the wrong pipe”). People at increased risk of aspiration include those with swallowing difficulties. Home air conditioning units do not use water to cool, so these home units do not aerosolize water and are not a risk for Legionella growth. Legionnaires’ disease is not spread person-to-person.”

NJDOH officials said most healthy people exposed to Legionella don’t develop Legionnaires’ disease. However, people over the age of 50, especially those who smoke cigarettes or those with certain medical conditions – including weakened immune systems, chronic lung disease or other chronic health conditions – are at increased risk.

The NJDOH receives about 250 to 350 reports of Legionnaires’ disease every year, officials noted.

“The risk of Legionnaires’ disease among any resident of, or recent visitor to Essex County is low,” New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said.

“Out of an abundance of caution, the department recommends that individuals who live in Essex County who become ill with pneumonia-like/respiratory symptoms, such as fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle aches, and headache visit their health care provider immediately to be evaluated,” Persichilli said.

Health officials added:

“As it can take up to two weeks for symptoms to develop, the NJDOH recommends that those who develop symptoms within two weeks of visiting Essex County also seek medical attention. The NJDOH has alerted healthcare providers in the area. A laboratory test is required to determine if you are sick with Legionnaires’ disease or COVID-19. Legionnaires’ disease is treatable with antibiotics. It is important to note that symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease are similar to those of COVID-19.”

The NJDOH said that it’s working closely with local health departments in Essex County to identify where these individuals may have been exposed to Legionella bacteria. But officials added that investigations into these types of Legionnaires’ disease clusters are complex.

“It is often not possible to determine the origin of the bacteria that infected people,” health officials said.

On Tuesday, a NJDOH spokesperson told Patch that there have been no additional cases associated with Essex County since the agency’s advisory was issued on July 30.

“To date, no common exposure has been identified among case-patients,” she said. “The department will be conducting targeted outreach to cooling tower operators to ensure those towers are being appropriately maintained to reduce the risk of Legionella growth. The working theory is that the case-patients were exposed to Legionella outdoors.”

She added:

“When the case numbers per town are small, the department does not disclose municipal level data. In addition, the municipality where an individual lives may not be related to the source of source of the infection, as people travel outside their home town for work, shopping, medical appointments, etc.”

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