Tampa, FL – According to CDC, each year an estimated 8,000-18,000 cases of Legionnaires’ Disease occur in the U.S. with fatality rates between 5 to 40%. Of those who survive, there are often serious long term health consequences after recovery. Legionnaires’ Disease is caused by the inhalation of aerosolized water contaminated with Legionella bacteria. It is an illness that is completely preventable provided routine monitoring and maintenance of potable water and cooling tower water systems are conducted.

ROMULUS, Mich. (AP) - The U.S. Department of Transportation says mold and moisture problems persist at Detroit Metropolitan Airport's air traffic control tower and it could take up to three years to fix them.

The update on the problems at the airport in Romulus came Thursday from the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, an independent agency that reviews whistleblower complaints filed by civilian government employees.

H von Baum ¹, G Härter², A Essig¹, C Lück³, T Gonser⁴, A Embacher⁴, S Brockmann⁵

1. Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Ulm University Hospitals, Germany
2. Department of Internal Medicine III, Infectious Diseases, Ulm University Hospitals, Germany
3. German Reference Laboratory for Legionella, Dresden University, Germany
4. Public Health Services Ulm and Neu-Ulm, Germany
5. Department of Epidemiology and Health Report, State Health Office, Stuttgart, Germany

Currently an investigation is ongoing to explore and control an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease, affecting 65 people as of...