Allegheny County to test water at Human Services building for Legionella bacteria

The Allegheny County Health Department will test the water at the county’s Department of Human Services building for Legionella bacteria after an employee tested positive for Legionnaries’ disease.

The Department of Human Services is on Smithfield Street in Pittsburgh.

In a statement to the Trib’s news partner, WPXI-TV, Allegheny County Health Department spokesman Ryan Scarpino said the water at the Human Services building will be tested to determine if it is a source.

In the statement, Scarpino said an investigation is typically launched when there are two or more related cases.

“In this case, after discussion with the department, we are going to investigate and test the water at the building in which the individual works to determine if it is a source,” his statement said. “If so, we will recommend steps to be taken for proper maintenance of the building water systems. Again, this is being done out of an abundance of caution even though there has been only one report of the Legionnaires’ disease.”

Legionnaires’ disease, also known as legionellosis, is a serious pneumonia-like ailment that can require hospitalization and can be fatal. It is caused by exposure to the Legionella bacteria that is found in water and can be spread through water distribution systems or bodies of water.

The disease was named after an outbreak during a American Legion convention in a downtown Philadelphia hotel in 1976. It resulted in 34 deaths and 200 illnesses.