MCLEAN, Va. — With the number of Legionnaires’ disease cases increasing this year in the United States, the Association of Water Technologies (AWT) has responded by releasing a new paper on Legionella and how to minimize the risk of legionellosis from water systems.
The number of cases of legionellosis reported to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this year totaled 624 as of last week, compared to 436 for the corresponding period last year — a 43 percent increase, reports the AWT. In some regions of the country, the numbers are double or triple those reported at this time last year. To help shed some light on the disease and its causes, the association’s paper “Legionella 2003: An Update and Statement by AWT,” provides an overview of Legionella and Legionnaires’ disease including: