Legionnaires’ Outbreak Shuts Down GM Plant Temporarily

A couple of General Motors employees at a Michigan engineering facility tested positive for Legionnaires' disease forcing the plant to temporarily close.

Legionnaires' disease is not common in Michigan, but is a consistent health concern, with recent years seeing increases in cases compared to earlier periods.

What is Legionnaires' Disease?

Legionnaires' disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by the bacteria found in water sources, such as cooling towers, hot water tanks, and plumbing systems. People catch it by inhaling the bacteria when they breathe in while drinking contaminated water.

Symptoms of Legionnaires' disease include, cough, diarrhea, fever, headache, muscle aches, and shortness of breath. Antibiotics can help, but hospitalization may be necessary for severe cases.

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Those most at risk are older people, smokers, those with chronic lung disease, or a weakened immune system. The complications are respiratory failure, kidney failure, and heart problems.

GM Shuts Down Plant After Legionnaires’ Cases Found

According to WOOD TV, two General Motors employees tested positive for Legionnaires' disease at the engineering plant in Warren, Michigan, and have temporarily shut the plant down.

The GM plant will be closed until September 22 while the Macomb County Health Department tries to find the potential source of the infections. GM has issued the temporary closure out of caution for its workers. It is possible the disease may have been brought into the plant from another source but the testing will determine the outcome.

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The GM plant could stay closed longer than September 22 if it takes longer to locate the source of the Legionaries' disease.

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