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Legionella pneumophila, a bacterium that grows readily in freshwater environments, can cause pneumonia through inhalation of contaminated aerosols. Sources of these aerosols include air-conditioning cooling towers, showerheads, and whirlpool hot tubs.
In early July 2013, the Wisconsin Division of Public Health notified the City of Milwaukee Health Department of an increase in legionellosis incidence in southwestern Wisconsin. From June 1 through September 30, 2013, 58 laboratory-confirmed cases were reported in Milwaukee County (78% of them in the city of Milwaukee) — more than twice the average annual number in each of the preceding 5 years.
Environmental sampling revealed L. pneumophila in three cooling towers and several other sites. Six s…