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Nine schools in West Orange and a hotel near Newark Airport are flushing their pipes to kill legionella, as a result of tests that have uncovered bacteria and two confirmed cases of legionellosis.
According to a letter sent Tuesday to families in West Orange public schools, legionella were found in samples taken at Gregory Elementary School at Hazel Elementary School. The Pleasant Elementary School, the Redwood Elementary School, the St. Cloud Elementary School, the Washington Elementary School, the Edison Middle School, the Roosevelt High School , West Orange High School and the Administration Building.
"The region sees seasonal increases in the summer months in general," said Nicole Kirgan, a spokeswoman for the State Department of Health, in a statement. "This year seems particularly active, given that we have experienced very wet and wet weather in recent months.We have not found many common exhibits that would explain this increase."
It is too early to tell how much news has emerged from the summer, she said, as investigations are long and many are ongoing.
Legionellosis causes legionnaires' disease, a serious form of pneumonia. It can lead to septic shock, respiratory failure and acute renal failure and is caused by the inhalation of microscopic water droplets, such as spray from a shower or faucet. . The disease is related to spas, swimming pools, hospitals and retirement homes.
It can not be passed from person to person.
The letter indicated that there was no confirmed case of legionnaires in West Orange schools, but municipal employees in the suburbs were facing the same problem this summer after an employee of long time was hospitalized for the disease.
But there have been confirmed cases of guests at the Ramada Plaza near the airport – two over the past 12 months, the hotel said in a letter to guests dated Sept. 17, which was forwarded to NJ Advance Media. The notice also confirmed that legionella had been detected in the water supply of Ramada Plaza.
It is not clear if the guests contracted the bacteria during their stay at the hotel.
The letter states that the hotel has taken recommended actions to disinfect its water system and replace the showerheads. Anyone who believes he has legionnaire symptoms, such as headaches, muscle aches, high fever and chills, is advised to see a doctor within two weeks of arriving at the hotel.
The management of the hotel, as well as media contacts Wyndham, which operates the brand Ramada, did not respond to requests for comments Thursday.
In West Orange, the bacteria was first discovered at Redwood Elementary School in August, after a child attending a summer camp was diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease, according to a first letter sent to families. The child was finally allowed, but the district began to test it for caution.
According to the letter, four of the 15 samples taken from the school contained "very little legionellosis".
To eradicate bacteria, chlorine is pumped into the water heater of a building and stays in place for four hours. According to West Orange's letter, they are pumped into the hot water piping system for fourteen hours and each sink in the building is cleaned with chlorine. This is happening on weekends, according to a district spokesman.
The water is then drained and the system is rinsed. New water samples are taken and retested seven to ten days later to make sure the bacteria has left the water system.
A district spokesman did not have an immediate comment available Thursday. A spokesman for the county health department was not immediately available.
Amanda Hoover can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @ amandahoovernj. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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