A new Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study involving 196 cooling towers nationwide found that 84 percent contained Legionella DNA, indicating that the dangerous bacteria that causes a severe, even fatal type of pneumonia were present or had been at some point. This means the real question is not ‘if there will be another outbreak’ but only ‘where and when’ it will occur.
“During 2000–2014, passive surveillance for legionellosis in the United States demonstrated a 286% increase in reported cases per 100,000 population,” states the CDC website.
The CDC also estimates that about 5,000 cases of Legionnaires’ disease are now reported each year in the United States, and keeping Legionella out of water systems in buildings, with cooling towers a noted risk, is critical in preventing infection.
In response, HVAC contractors now are pairing chillers and high performance plastic cooling towers with new anti-microbial options that significantly reduce the infection risk.
Learn more about how anti-microbial features can help prevent bacterial growth in cooling towers.