Riverside County health officials are investigating 20 cases of Legionnaires’ disease, two of which proved fatal, the Riverside University Health System-Public Health reported recently.
“This is a continuing investigation,” Riverside County Public Health Officer Dr. Geoffrey Leung told the Coachella Valley Times. “The risk to anyone who lives in Palm Springs, Palm Desert and surrounding areas is low. The Department recommends that individuals who live in the identified areas who become ill with pneumonia-like/respiratory symptoms, such as fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, muscle aches and headache, visit their healthcare provider.”
Health officials place the timing of the outbreak between late 2021 and early 2022, a recent report issued on the City of Palm Springs website said. The source is still unknown, but Riverside County health representatives are working with the California Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to track it down.
Of the outbreak’s 20 confirmed cases, 14 people had to be hospitalized, and there were two fatalities, the report said.
Legionnaires’ disease is a lung infection tied to the bacteria Legionella, the report said. A person can be infected and not show any symptoms for up to two weeks. Once symptoms are evident, individuals should waste no time in seeking medical attention, since the disease is treatable with antibiotics.
One common way of contracting the disease is breathing in small water droplets that have the Legionella bacteria, the report said. Contaminated droplets may originate from cooling towers and plumbing systems, although these are not the only potential sources.
