Michigan Sees Increase in Legionellosis Cases
MICHIGAN — State officials are seeing an uptick in legionellosis cases around Michigan. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is coordinating with local health departments across the state to investigate cases of legionellosis this summer.
To date in 2018, there have been 135 confirmed cases of legionellosis reported in 33 counties compared to 107 confirmed cases during the same timeframe in 2017, state officials said Monday.
Confirmed cases include 24 in Detroit, 19 in Macomb County, 16 in Oakland County, 11 in Wayne County and 10 in Genesee County. Twenty-four of the cases have been confirmed statewide since July 1, and another 13 cases are pending confirmation.
This increase corresponds with national increases in legionellosis. Legionellosis is most common in the summer and early fall when warming, stagnant waters present the best environment for bacterial growth in water systems.
MDHHS and local health departments are working to inform healthcare providers of the increase in cases and share information regarding testing and treatment. Legionellosis is a respiratory infection caused by Legionella bacteria. Legionnaires' disease is an infection with symptoms that include fever, cough and pneumonia. A milder form of legionellosis, Pontiac fever, is an influenza-like illness without pneumonia that resolves on its own.
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