Legionnaires’ Disease Resources for Environmental Health Professionals

Health Advisory Notice on Hot Tub Displays and Legionella Risk – Learn how public health can respond to hot tub Legionella concerns, with recommendations for environmental and public health practitioners and hot tub owners/operators.

Hot Tub Displays and Legionella Risk: Guidance for Environmental and Public Health Practitioners – Learn how to minimize risk for Legionella exposure from hot tub displays at temporary events (for example, fairs, home and garden shows, conventions).

Did you know that Legionella bacteria causes more than half of waterborne disease outbreaks?

Environmental health practitioners have essential expertise to both respond to Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks and prevent future ones. Explore these CDC resources for environmental health professionals.

Tools and Guidance

Photo of the cover of Developing a Water Management Program To Reduce Legionella Growth & Spread in Buildings: A Practical Guide To Implementing Industry Standards

Developing a Water Management Program To Reduce Legionella Growth & Spread in Buildings: A Practical Guide To Implementing Industry Standards – Develop and implement a water management program to reduce a building’s risk for growing and spreading Legionella.

Water System Maintenance – Review information on monitoring building water and maintaining recreational water systems for preventing disease.

Legionella Environmental Assessment Form

Environmental Investigation Tools – Investigate legionellosis outbreaks with these resources, including an environmental assessment form and sampling procedures.

Vital Signs Infographic - water management programs and reducing the risk of Legionnaires' disease.

Infographics

Legionnaires’ Disease: Use Water Management Programs in Buildings To Help Prevent Outbreaks

Legionnaires’ Disease: A Problem for Health Care Facilities

Photo shows arrows pointing to the fan blades on a cooling tower.

Procedures for Identifying Cooling Towers – Read a stepwise procedure and strategies to locate cooling towers.

Training

Two people water testing samples for Legionella.

Environmental Investigation Videos – Watch instructional videos that explain Legionella ecology, environmental assessments, and sampling techniques.

Preventing Legionnaires’ Disease: A Training on Legionella Water Management Programs (PreventLD Training) – Learn to create a water management program to reduce risk for Legionnaires’ disease.

Research

Cover image of the Legionnaires’ Disease Infographic Fact Sheet

CDC Vital Signs Reports

Vital Signs: Health Care–Associated Legionnaires’ Disease Surveillance Data from 20 States and a Large Metropolitan Area — United States, 2015

Vital Signs: Deficiencies in Environmental Control Identified in Outbreaks of Legionnaires’ Disease — North America, 2000–2014

Cover image for the December Journal of Environmental Health.

JEH Columns

Preventing Legionnaires’ Disease: Environmental Health Expertise Is Key [PDF – 472 KB] – Explore the role of environmental health professionals in preventing and responding to Legionnaires’ disease.

Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak at a Long-Term Care Facility in Ohio, 2013 [PDF – 688 KB] – Learn about an outbreak investigation implicating a cooling tower that used an automated biocide delivery system.

Reducing Legionnaires’ Disease in Public Spas [PDF – 117 KB] – Discover how CDC’s Model Aquatic Health Code offers critical guidance for reducing the risk of Legionnaires’ disease in public aquatic facilities.

Photo of an outdoor HVAC air conditioner unit located on a high-floor porch of a New York skyscraper.

A Large Community Outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease Associated With a Cooling Tower in New York City, 2015 – Read this report about an outbreak in an NYC cooling tower in 2015.

History, Mystery, and Discovery: 40 Years of Legionnaires’ Disease – View this CDC webinar to hear scientists discuss experiences from early investigations, how they solved the 2015 Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in New York City, and more.techniques.

Want More Information?

Turning the Tide: The Role of Water Management to Prevent Legionnaires’ Disease (CDC Public Health Grand Rounds)

Legionella (Legionnaires’ Disease and Pontiac Fever) (CDC’s comprehensive website)