In 2019, a Kettering Fairmont High School custodian died of Legionnaires’ disease. Given the most recent discovery, the district is working to see if all other buildings — which are set to be tested in July — can be evaluated sooner, Kettering schools Spokeswoman Kari Basson said in an email Sunday.
“We do know a number of student-athletes have been ill in the past few weeks,” Basson said. “This is what we are able to share at this time.”
This weekend’s results “on our water testing of all water sources in the field house at Roush Stadium,” McCarty-Stewart said, “indicated the E. Coli/Coliform analysis was non-detect but the Legionella was positive.”
The field house was shut down when Fairmont football Coach Dave Miller told administrators of illnesses, the superintendent said.
The facility will remain closed until further notice, McCarty-Stewart added.
“We want to make sure that all students, regardless of symptoms, are making a full recovery,” she said. “The health and well-being of our students and staff is a priority for our district.”
Former Fairmont head custodian Casey Chaffin worked for the school district for more than 20 years when he became sick from Legionnaires’ disease, his family said.
Legionella commonly occurs in “multiple locations and multiple water systems,” said Dan Suffoletto, public information supervisor the health department, has said.
But it can’t be determined where a person contracted Legionnaires’ disease and it affects people with a weakened immune system more, he added.
In Kettering, “we are currently working with a certified environmental group to take all necessary action to ensure that the field house is safe to occupy,” McCarty-Stewart said.
“We chose Legionella PCR analysis to get a rapid result, but it only validates the presence of Legionella, not the species or CFU count,” she added. “The lab is currently culturing the sample and we should know both of those in 7-10 days.”
Symptoms include fever, chills, and cough, which may be dry or may produce mucus, McCarty-Stewart said. Some patients may also have muscle aches, headache, tiredness, loss of appetite, and occasionally diarrhea, she added.
“If your child is exhibiting any of these symptoms or if you have concerns please contact your medical provider for more information. We encourage you to let your medical provider know that there was a positive detection of Legionella in our field house,” according to the letter.
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