Legionnaires' disease found in adjacent California jails

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The legionella bacteria that killed an inmate and rendered another patient is more widespread than expected in a prison in the state of California, officials said Wednesday, citing new findings.

Preliminary findings revealed the presence of bacteria in the water of a Stockton prison medical center and two adjoining penitentiary institutions, said Corrections Department spokeswoman Vicky Waters.

The officials had thought that he was isolated from a housing unit where the two detainees lived. They restricted the use of water throughout the medical facility and in the nearby juvenile facility, bringing bottled water. But they put special filters only on the showers in the housing unit where the inmates had been housed in the California Health Care Center, which treats about 2,670 inmates requiring medical or mental health care.

Neighbor O.H. The youth detention center houses about 150 youth and the N.A. Chaderjian youth detention center has about 260 young people.

No other diseases were reported and the source was not found. But officials now add shower filters in other areas and warn against the use of unfiltered water in all three facilities.

"We are responding to preliminary findings and recommendations," Waters said in an email. "We are still waiting for the final conclusions and are working on a rehabilitation plan."

This includes deciding how they will eliminate bacteria from the facility's water system and how much it could cost, she said.

The bacteria has not been detected in the water supply of the City of Stockton, although the city provides water to state facilities.

An inmate who died last month was suffering from legionnaires' disease, which is considered a serious form of pneumonia. A second inmate was positive for the bacteria but was in good condition.

Legionella thrive in water and spread by water vapor. According to the Federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, they can cause a mild infection called Pontiac fever or a more serious infection called legionellosis. The disease occurs when contaminated water is inhaled into the lungs. It is considered particularly dangerous for the elderly and those with underlying health problems.

Officials tested 28 prisoners with pneumonia in February or March, but only the two detainees were tested positive, officials said. Tests are pending on a newer inmate with pneumonia.

No detainees died, but nearly 80 people became ill during a 2015 outbreak at San Quentin State Prison, 80 kilometers to the west. For example, the state's oldest prison was temporarily forced to cancel visits, hot meals and showers, and be delivered to water and portable toilets.