Five cases of Legionnaires' disease were confirmed last week at the Stadium Place senior apartment complex on E 33rd Street.Four people fell ill and one woman died from the disease.
Health officials are currently performing tests on the Stadium Place complex to determine the source of the illness.
"We're trying to determine the source of the Legionnaires' disease in the water," Olivia Farrow, the Baltimore Interim Health Commissioner, said to the Baltimore Messenger. Investigators are still trying to determine whether the source of infection was from the apartment complex or not.
Common sources include moist air from air-conditioning ducts, hot water heaters or improperly installed plumbing.
No new cases have been reported since these five people were first diagnosed, though the Baltimore City Health Department is taking precautions to ensure no additional people are being exposed.
The incubation period for the disease is between two and 14 days, so officials are urging all residents to see a doctor immediately if they start developing symptoms.
The prognosis for the disease becomes much more severe for elderly people or people who have underlying health conditions. In addition, these people are also more at risk to contract the disease.
Up to 50 percent of cases become fatal for those who go to the hospital after developing symptoms.
Legionnaires' disease is a form of pneumonia that is usually transmitted through airborne water droplets from a contaminated water source. Symptoms are similar to those of normal pneumonia, with patients exhibiting coughs, fevers and chest pain. The disease can usually be successfully eliminated with antibiotic treatments.
No known cases of the disease have ever been transmitted between humans, so officials are trying to reassure residents that there is no need to avoid others in order to prevent the spread of Legionnaires'.
Prior to this announcement, many residents had been staying in their rooms out of fear of catching the illness.
The disease is caused by the bacteria Legionella pneumophilia, which thrives in warm, moist environments. For this reason, residents of the complex are being advised to take baths instead of showers to reduce the amount of water vapor in case the outbreak stems from a contaminated water line. Vacant apartments with bathtubs are being made available to residents who only have showers in their residences.
The disease got its name in 1976 when many people attending an American Legion conference in Philadelphia fell ill with this severe form of pneumonia. The same type of bacteria also causes Pontiac fever, which is milder and much less fatal.
The incidence of the disease is relatively rare today, with between 8,000 and 18,000 people being hospitalized for it each year.
In 2008, the Baltimore Health Department was notified of 31 cases, and 25 cases of Legionnaires' disease have been reported so far this year.
However, the number could be higher, as many cases go unreported because of the similarity in symptoms to pneumonia and relatively low mortality rate of around five percent for many outbreaks.
City officials believe that those who became sick went to emergency Union Memorial Hospital for treatment, although no names of patients have been released for privacy reasons. It is also unknown whether any are still there undergoing treatment.
The management of the Stadium Place apartments could not be reached for comment before press time.
