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Two cases of Legionnaires’ disease were recently reported in August 2022 from the section of Hamilton Township, Mercer County, served by Trenton Water Works (TWW). Two additional cases were reported, respectively in April 2022 and December 2021. Of the four, one individual has died.

Legionnaires’ disease is a type of pneumonia that people can get after breathing in aerosolized water (small droplets of water in the air) containing Legionella bacteria. You cannot get Legionnaires’ disease by drinking water that has Legionella. Less commonly, people can get sick when water containing Legionella is aspirated into the lungs while drinking (“goes down the wrong pipe”).

The Ó£»¨ÊÓƵ Department of Health (NJDOH) receives approximately 250–350 reports of Legionnaires’ disease each year throughout Ó£»¨ÊÓƵ. Public health departments routinely conduct disease surveillance to identify suspected clusters or outbreaks. When an outbreak is identified, impacted individuals are notified so they are aware of steps they can take to reduce their risk of Legionnaires’ disease. 

The Hamilton Township Division of Health continues to work closely with NJDOH to investigate these cases. This is part of a larger ongoing investigation to determine potential sources of Legionella contributing to the higher burden of Legionnaires’ disease in Hamilton Township. Health officials continue to conduct surveillance for Legionnaires’ disease in other municipalities served by TWW.

As part of these ongoing efforts, the Hamilton Township Division of Health and NJDOH recruited 20 homeowners from Hamilton Township to voluntarily have their homes tested for Legionella. Water samples collected from more than half of the homes served by TWW identified the presence of Legionella, including in samples of the cold water entering homes. It is possible for Legionella to enter buildings and homes when receiving treated drinking water. However, health officials are concerned about the number of homes with Legionella in areas serviced by TWW. There is concern that Legionella may be present in other buildings and homes in the area, particularly in the areas of Hamilton Township served by TWW.

Hamilton Township and NJDOH are partnering with the Ó£»¨ÊÓƵ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and TWW to investigate factors that may be promoting the growth of Legionella bacteria and to evaluate actions that can be taken to reduce Legionella in the system. Investigators are also assessing if the other municipalities served by TWW are impacted.

“I want to thank Hamilton’s Division of Health, NJDOH, and NJDEP for their joint and thorough investigation into the causes of Legionnaire’s disease here in Hamilton,” said Mayor Jeff Martin. “This has been an issue for many years and their tireless work will hopefully reveal a cause for the high number of cases here in the Township – specifically those in the TWW service area.”

NJDOH recommends that all homeowners and building owners follow best practices to maintain their household and building water systems. However, health officials are especially urging residents and business owners in Hamilton Township served by TWW to take actions to reduce the risk of Legionella growth in their household and building plumbing. Recommendations for homeowners and building owners are available below.

It is not known whether individuals with Legionella detected in their home are more likely to develop Legionnaires’ disease, but there is no safe amount of Legionella, and individuals at increased risk for Legionnaires’ disease are especially urged to follow best practices for home plumbing system maintenance and safe uses of water. 

It is rare for a healthy person exposed to Legionella to become sick with Legionnaires’ disease.  However, people who are 50 years or older, especially those who smoke, or those with certain medical conditions, including weakened immune systems, chronic lung disease or other chronic health conditions, are at increased risk for Legionnaires’ disease.

Symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease include cough, shortness of breath, fever, muscle aches, and headaches, which are similar to symptoms caused by other respiratory infections, including COVID-19. Legionnaires’ disease can be fatal but is treatable with antibiotics. It is important that anyone who thinks they have symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease contact their health care provider and seek medical evaluation.

The Hamilton Township Division of Health and NJDOH want to remind healthcare providers to maintain a high index of suspicion for Legionnaires’ disease when evaluating patients for community-acquired and healthcare-associated pneumonia, especially among residents of Hamilton Township. This is important to ensure patients receive appropriate and timely treatment. Appropriate testing for Legionnaires' disease includes use of the urinary antigen test and collection of a lower respiratory specimen.

“There are simple precautions that residents can take to help protect themselves – such as regularly flushing water at their taps, cleaning their showerheads, and maintaining their water heaters,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Tina Tan. “Additionally, home and car air-conditioning units do not use water to cool the air, so they are not a risk for Legionella growth.”

According to NJDOH, residents, particularly those at high risk, can follow recommended steps to decrease the risk of Legionella exposure and best practices to limit the growth of Legionella in household water systems and devices:

• Avoid high-risk activities. If you are at an increased risk for Legionnaires’ disease, consider avoiding hot tubs, decorative fountains, power washing, or similar activities, which may generate increased amounts of aerosols or mist. A conversation with your healthcare provider may help you assess your individual level of risk based on underlying health conditions and co-morbidities. Your healthcare provider may recommend that you consider installing specialty biological 0.2-micron filters on your showerhead if you are severely immunocompromised, reside in Hamilton Township, and receive water from Trenton Water Works.
  
  
• Maintain in-home medical equipment. If using medical equipment that requires water for use or cleaning such as non-steam generating humidifiers, CPAP or BiPAP machines, nasal irrigation devices such as Neti Pots, and attachments for nebulizers, follow manufacturer’s instructions for use and maintenance. This often includes using sterile water instead of tap water in the device.
  
  
• Clean and/or replace your showerheads and faucet aerators (screens) per manufacturer’s instructions whenever buildup is visible. This is particularly important if you haven’t cleaned your showerheads or faucet aerators recently. Cleaning might require you to remove the showerhead and hose and soak in a solution (such as white vinegar or a bleach solution) to remove buildup. If using chemicals, follow instructions found on the back of the bottle for safe use.

• Keep your water heater set to a minimum of 120^o F. This temperature will reduce Legionella growth and avoid potential for scalding (hot water burns). Setting the heater to a higher temperature may better control Legionella growth, especially if you have household members at increased risk for Legionnaires’ disease. However, if the temperature is set to greater than
  120^o F, make sure you take extra precautions to mix cold and hot water at the faucet and shower to avoid scalding. If you have household members at increased risk of scalding, such as young children or older adults, you may consider installing a thermostatic mixing valve.

A mixing valve allows your water to be stored at a higher temperature within your water heater to help kill bacteria while eliminating concerns with water being too hot at sinks or showers. If you decide to install a mixing valve, be sure to follow manufacturer’s instructions for routine cleaning and maintenance to avoid bacteria growth within the valve. Consider consulting with a licensed plumbing professional and ensure you are following your local codes and ordinances for home plumbing repairs.

After cleaning showerheads and faucet aerators and increasing the temperature of the water heater, thoroughly flush the water at each tap (e.g., sink, showerhead) for 20 minutes. Try to minimize expo