Rise in Number of Georgia Legionnaires’ Disease Cases Since 2008 Has Experts Baffled
Failure to maintain safe internal water systems and perform diagnostic testing practices may be considered neglect and result in charges of substandard quality of care.
Compliance Perspective – Legionnaires’ Disease
Policies/Procedures: The Compliance and Ethics Officer with the Administrator and Maintenance Director will review recommended standards of practice and internal policies and procedures for maintenance and diagnostic testing practices of all internal water systems.
Training: The Compliance and Ethics Officer with the Maintenance Director will ensure that staff are trained to perform regular maintenance protocols and diagnostic testing of all water systems.
Audit: The Compliance and Ethics Officer with the Maintenance Director should conduct an audit by inspecting and performing diagnostic testing of water systems (fountains, hot tubs, hot water heaters, shower heads, etc.) throughout the facility, and checking if these inspections and testing are occurring and appropriately documented as protocols require.
Public health statistics indicate that the number of Legionnaires’ disease cases in Georgia have quadrupled in the last 10 years from 43 in 2008 to 189 in 2018. This increase is similar to national statistics that show U.S. cases have increased by five times the number reported in 2000.
A Georgia state epidemiologist reports that almost 80 percent of Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks in the state have happened in healthcare facilities such as nursing homes and hospitals.
The disease is not spread from person to person, but people over the age of 50 and those with weakened immune systems have greater susceptibility to the disease. This may be why people who are being treated in healthcare facilities like nursing homes have disorders that cause them to be more vulnerable and at more rise of getting sick and dying from Legionnaires’ disease.
Water systems have been found as the source for the growth and spread of the Legionella bacteria. These systems include hot tubs, hot water tanks and heaters, and large plumbing systems. Cooling towers seem to also be a problem for healthcare facilities.
Although the reason for the rise in Legionnaires’ disease is not known, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) experts believe it may likely be related to several factors—an aging population, changes in diagnostic testing practices, and aging buildings and infrastructures.
CDC officials report that while Legionnaires’ disease in healthcare facilities is widespread and deadly, it is preventable.
