December 2, 2011: Legion Fever Cases Rise in Maryland
Legionnaires’ disease cases have been on the rise in Maryland. Figures show that 131 cases of Legionnaires’ disease have already been reported so far this year.
Though Frederick County Health Department officials explain that the overall number is still relatively low, it is far higher than the annual figures that have been seen in the area in the last five years.
Darlene Armacost, program manager at the health department explained, “Typically, the bacterium Legionella that causes the disease grows in water and can be found in community living settings, air-conditioning systems or shower heads.”
Of the 131 cases reported in the state of Maryland, 8 have come from Frederick County. However, one of the eight individuals was reported to have contracted the disease from an outbreak stemming from an Ocean City hotel in September or October.
