PONTIAC, Mich. (WXYZ) — Oakland County has now expanded water testing for Legionella bacteria to the Oakland County Circuit Court Building.
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The county made the announcement Friday after the Oakland County Sheriff's Office closed its administrative building following an employee of the sheriff's office testing positive for Legionnaires' disease.
According to the county spokesperson, the county did additional testing and obtained water samples from the administration building where he worked, and those samples came back positive for Legionella.
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“Oakland County’s top priority is the health and safety of our employees,” said Health Officer Kate Guzman in a statement. “There is no immediate risk to the public and we are taking all necessary steps to address the Legionella found in the building.”
Legionella bacteria is usually found in water and can cause a form of pneumonia. It’s not clear how long the cleanup will take or when critical sheriff’s office employees can return to their headquarters.
"We're trying to put together what that plan looks like, how quickly and obviously given the critical operations there... we need to have a sense of urgency to get this building back up and running," Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. "But we're not gonna do that if it puts anybody at risk."
This expansion of water testing to the courthouse is for "due diligence" after the county said a person who was not a county employee tested positive for Legionnaires' disease last April and listed the courthouse as one of the places they visited during their exposure period.
"The infection happens when we inhale small water droplets like cooling towers or air conditioners that have not been properly cleaned," Dr. Teena Chopra with the Detroit Medical Center said. "So water systems in the building have not been properly cleaned."
A county spokesperson confirmed to 7 News Detroit that the county plans to test all of the buildings on the campus. This does include the county jail, but officials say at this moment, the jail is not a building of interest in their environmental investigation.
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The Oakland County Sheriff’s Administration Building, known as 38E, is one of the buildings where employees are being told not to come in to work. All personnel in the building should work remotely until it is deemed safe to come back. A custodial employee who works in the building is the person who became sick with the bacteria.
"Our first concern, obviously, is our employees," Bouchard said.
Employees or recent building visitors who are experiencing flu-like or pneumonia-like symptoms are urged to seek medical care and inform their provider of a possible exposure.
"If they have any symptoms of headache, because those are very early on, mild headaches... flu-like symptoms, they should go and get checked out," Chopra said. "Especially under the circumstances with one employee being confirmed, others who have symptoms should get tested right away."
The Sheriff's Office has provided the following guidance to employees:
This message is to inform all Oakland County Sheriff’s Office personnel of an important health and safety matter involving Building 38E (the Sheriff’s Administration Building).
On Thursday evening, the Oakland County Health Department received preliminary Legionella bacteria test results from the State of Michigan for water samples taken from Building 38E. These tests were initiated after a custodial employee who works in the building was diagnosed with Legionnaires’ Disease. A number of the collected samples have tested positive for the presence of Legionella bacteria.
Out of an abundance of caution, Building 38E will be closed on Friday, December 5, and through the weekend. This temporary closure will allow the Health Department and the Facilities Department to implement a mitigation plan in coordination with the operational needs of the Sheriff’s Office.
Guidance for All Sheriff’s Office Personnel
While this closure directly impacts employees assigned to 38E, any Sheriff’s Office employee who has visited or worked in Building 38E recently should be aware of the situation and monitor their health accordingly. If you experience flu-like or pneumonia-like symptoms, please seek medical treatment immediately and inform your healthcare provider of a potential exposure so they can conduct appropriate testing and treatment. Additionally, please notify your immediate supervisor. Be advised The Oakland County Health Department is not equipped or capable of performing testing at this time.
General Information
Legionella bacteria are commonly found in natural and man-made water systems. While most individuals exposed do not become ill, people who are immunocompromised may be more susceptible to infection. A fact sheet with additional information is attached for your awareness.
We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available and as remediation efforts progress. The health and safety of our personnel remain our top priority, and we appreciate your cooperation and attentiveness as we work through this issue.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services confirmed to 7 News Detroit that they are assisting the Oakland County Health Division in this process:
"MDHHS is supporting the Oakland County Health Division with this investigation by providing epidemiology and industrial hygiene support, such as what information and specimens to collect, where water system testing should be done, review of documents such as water management plans, all in accordance with our established response protocols."
The United Auto Workers Union, which represents many county employees, released the following statement:
"The union is very concerned about its members in light of the recent legionnaires outbreak on campus. We’ve begun working with the county administration to ensure that our members are working in a safe environment. The county has agreed to continue testing and remediation, and has recently communicated the situation to our membership."
Anyone with questions can call the county's Oakland Connects Helpline at 800-848-5533.