William Walker, MD
Contra Costa Health Services
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Read more about Legionnaires' Disease.
One of our staff members at the
Richmond Health Center was recently
diagnosed with Legionnaires disease,
a pneumonia-like infection caused by
breathing contaminated water vapor.
I'm Dr. William Walker, Director of
Contra Costa Health Services and the
County Health Officer, and I would like to
explain to you what steps we are taking to
be sure patients and staff are safe and
that the center remains open.
Legionnaires disease is not contagious and
not spread person to person.
A person gets infected by breathing in a
mist or vapor of water contaminated with
Although Legionnaires' is a serious disease,
it can be successfully treated with antibiotics.
There have been 14 cases of Legionnaires in
Contra Costa so far this year.
No source has been identified for any of them.
Each year, there are about 8,000 to 18,000 people
hospitalized with Legionnaires in the United States.
Legionella bacteria naturally occurs in the environment,
especially in hot water systems such as hot tubs,
hot water sinks and cooling towers.
The one Health Services staff member who
was diagnosed with Legionnaires disease is
being treated and is recovering from the illness.
Our first priority is to ensure the
safety of our employees and patients.
In cooperation with Cal-OSHA and the
state health department, we tested the
building's air and water supplies.
Preliminary tests indicate that the
water in the health center's cooling tower may
have contained the bacteria, which is
very common in air conditioning systems.
To address this issue, we have disinfected the
heating and cooling system and continue to
monitor the quality of the water and health of our staff.
There have not been any other cases identified, and
the health center should be safe for both staff and patients.
I know that the Health Center is old.
We have been working for more than
a decade to replace it and are hopeful that
within a few years, there will be a new
health center for West County on the
campus of Doctors Medical Center in San Pablo.
In the meantime, we will continue to
deliver high quality services at the current site.
It is important to remember that
most people who are exposed to
the Legionella bacteria do not get sick.
And most people who do get it,
recover with treatment.
Initially, Legionnaires' disease can be
hard to diagnose.
Early symptoms are similar to the flu and
include a high fever, chills and a cough.
Some people may even suffer from
muscle aches and headaches.
The difference between the flu and
Legionnaires is that the cough and other
symptoms get progressively worse.
Physicians must conduct laboratory tests to
detect the bacteria in a person's body.
I wish I could assure you that
there is absolutely no danger of
anyone in Contra Costa being diagnosed with
Of course that isn't possible since it is a bacteria that
many people could be exposed to in a variety of settings.
You can find out more information about
Legionnaires' disease, symptoms and diagnosis on
our website at cchealth.org
Thank you for listening.