The head of Michigan's health agency says there was an eight-month gap between when he was made aware of an investigation into a Legionnaires' disease outbreak in the Flint area and when the issue rose to his level again.
Department of Health and Human Services Director Nick Lyon said he then waited another four months to tell Gov. Rick Snyder about the cases.
Lyon made the disclosure Monday, telling lawmakers investigating the emergency that his agency must be more transparent in future disease investigations.
At least 91 Legionnaires' cases, including 12 deaths, were detected over a 17-month period. Some experts have linked the outbreak to Flint's lead-tainted water crisis.
Snyder publicly disclosed the spike in January, saying he had just been informed despite some of his staff knowing earlier.
