This was breaking news on the Rachel Maddow Show earlier this evening. From the Detroit Free Press:
Since Flint switched its water source to the Flint River, officials have seen a spike in the number of cases of a severe form of pneumonia, called Legionnaires' disease — but officials say they're still looking for the cause.
There have been 87 cases in Genesee County from June 2014 to November 2015 — and 10 of those cases resulted in death, said Dr. Eden Wells, chief medical executive with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, or MDHHS.
That number is a jump from previous few years, when the county saw between 6 and 13 cases. It’s not clear how many were fatal.
While state officials said they couldn’t make a connection between the water and the spike in disease, a drinking water expert who studied Flint said the rise in cases was “dramatic,” and added there’s a “very strong likelihood” the river’s water played a role.
www.freep.com/…
From the Centers for Disease Control:
Legionella is a type of bacterium found naturally in fresh water. When people are exposed to the bacterium, it can cause illness (Legionnaires’ disease and Pontiac fever). This bacterium grows best in warm water, like the kind found in
- Hot tubs
-
Cooling towers (air-conditioning units for large buildings)
- Hot water tanks
- Large plumbing systems
- Decorative
www.cdc.gov/…
Gov. Snyder now likely has blood on his hands. Please visit peregrine kate's diary to find out more about the campaign to have him arrested.