A man who stayed at a D.C. homeless shelter has been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease, prompting the city to test the shelter’s water supply for potential contaminants that could have caused the illness.
Legionnaires’ disease is a potentially fatal bacterial infection that spreads through the vapor or mist of contaminated water, leading to a severe form of pneumonia. People with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable.
The city realized there was a potential problem last week after the D.C. Department of Health was notified that a patient at a local hospital was being treated for Legionnaires’.