(WXYZ) — In today’s Health Alert, General Motors has extended the closure of its Cole Engineering building in Warren after Legionella bacteria was confirmed inside.
Two employees who worked there were diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease and have since recovered. The building will remain closed through this week.
Legionnaires’ disease is a serious type of pneumonia caused by a bacteria called Legionella. Now, this bacteria usually lives outdoors in soil and water. But it can grow in water systems like cooling towers, plumbing, or hot tubs. Most people contract it by breathing in mist or small water droplets that carry the bacteria, rather than from person-to-person contact.
In this case, GM acted quickly to close the building and sent employees home to work remotely. The car company is now working with experts to clean and fix the affected area.
So, do employees still need to be concerned about getting sick with Legionnaires' disease? Well, according to the CDC, symptoms can take two to fourteen days after exposure to appear, sometimes even longer. Since it’s been about two weeks since the building was closed, there is still a risk, albeit small.
Symptoms to watch out for feel like the flu: headache, muscle aches, and a fever that can be quite high. You can also develop coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, or even confusion. Some people might also have diarrhea. Legionnaires’ disease mainly affects the lungs, but it can sometimes cause infections in wounds or even other parts of the body, like the heart.
Not everyone who’s exposed gets sick, but certain groups are more vulnerable. If you’re over 50, if you smoke, or if you have a weakened immune system, lung disease, diabetes, cancer, or kidney problems, your risk goes up.
Complications of Legionnaires’ disease can be serious and include lung failure, septic shock, and kidney failure. It can also be deadly - about 1 out of every 10 people who get sick will die due to complications. Here in Michigan, health officials are investigating two deaths from June and July in Dearborn, and another case from August 2024 is also under review. The good news is that when it's caught early and treated with antibiotics, most people recover.
So here’s my advice: if you’ve been in a place linked to Legionella - like General Motors’ Cole Engineering Center - and you develop a cough, fever, or any trouble breathing, don’t wait. Call your doctor right away. Getting treated early makes a real difference in recovery.
