Death Toll for Flint-area Legionnaires’ Cases Rises

The number of Flint-area deaths from Legionnaires' Disease has risen to 12 according to an MLive article.

MLive says the the number climbed after the state received new data from area hospitals showing three more cases, two of which were fatal. The cases were reported between May and October 2015 and were discovered when officials at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services were reviewing date recently submitted. The three cases were missing from the 2015 summary because they were not appropriately reported to the public health systam.

Eden Wells, Chief Medical Executive with the MDHHS, sais "to date, 91 cases and 12 deaths have been identified in total for 2014 and 2015 in Genesee County. We remain vigilant in identifying any potential case associated with the outbreak."

Legionella is a type of bacteria commonly found in the environment that grows best in warm water, such as potable water systems, hot tubs, cooling towers and fountains. When exposed to the bacteria, it can cause a respiratory disease that can affect the lungs and cause pneumonia.