MOHNTON, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — The bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease was detected in the water at a Berks County government building for the second time in two months. Experts have urged those who are more susceptible to the illness to take extra care.
A routine water test this week indicated a low level of the bacteria Legionella at the South Campus government facility on Wyomissing Avenue in Mohnton.
The same building was closed to the public from June 11 to July 7 after legionella was discovered in the water.
“A bacterium grows in almost every type of water. It preferentially grows and multiplies in warm water,” said Paul Edelstein, a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
Edelstein said the organism is more common in places like hot tubs, pipes and water cooling towers, but how the bacterium becomes airborne and infectious is not known.
“People acquire the disease by breathing in the bacterium,” he said, “but that by itself isn’t sufficient to cause Legionnaires’ disease. There are just a small fraction of legionella bacteria that are capable of causing disease.”
According to Edelstein, seniors and the immunocompromised are at greater risk of contracting Legionnaires. “Underlying heart and lung disease. Diabetes is another one,” he said. “A couple of other diseases that compromise the ability to deal with bacteria.”
Berks County officials are bringing in drinkable water and temporary bathrooms that can be used during remediation. The county says it is also flushing its water system and following the testing labs’ instructions to fix the problem.