Troy said that the testing found normal water quality, and that tests didn’t find Legionella bacteria in water supplied from the city.
Legionnaires’ disease is a potentially serious form of pneumonia that is spread by breathing in small water droplets containing the Legionella bacteria from man-made water sources like pipes and showers.
The city said its staff would continue to help public health officials to look for potential sources for the infection at the facility.
It added that city water customers “can be assured that our water is safe to drink.”
In a statement, facility administrator April Steinberg confirmed that the center had a resident diagnosed with the disease on Feb. 24, and that the resident was being treated at the center.
Steinberg said that they don’t believe that this case is related to the case of Legionnaires’ disease reported at the center in December, but said that they will follow normal procedures, which will again involve bringing in an independent laboratory group to conduct water tests.
The rehabilitation center previously confirmed in late December that a resident had contracted Legionnaires’ disease, was treated and had recovered.
At the time, the center said that it was working with an independent laboratory group and public health officials to determine the source of the bacteria but they were unsure if it came from their facility.
She said that the facility was also again instituting “best practices” to mitigate possible Legionella growth, including installing high-filtration water taps in the affected nursing unit and high-filtration showerheads throughout the facility. She also said they instituted a strict water policy for cooking and refreshed staff training related to Legionnaires’ disease.
Finally, she said they were in contact with the Ohio Department of Health regarding the case.
We have reached out to Miami County Public Health for a statement and will update this story with any reply.
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