Kristi Tanner, and Elisha Anderson

Detroit Free Press

A national expert in Legionnaires’ disease who met with health and hospital officials in Michigan blames the spike in cases in Genesee County on Flint’s water.

Janet Stout, associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering with 30 years of experience studying the disease, concluded the problems with Flint's water are related to the increase in Legionnaires' cases — although she can't prove it.

“It is like an emperor’s new clothes situation,” Stout said. “Somebody has to say it.”

She said it's a "reasonable conclusion" given the link between poor water quality and Legionnaires' disease in scientific studies done elsewhere.

New data released this week by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services on Legionnaires' outbreaks shows 70% of people who contracted the disease were exposed to Flint water two weeks before their symptoms began.

State officials have said they haven’t pinpointed the source of the outbreaks. From June 2014 to November 2015, there were 87 people hospitalized, including nine who died, officials said in a report released Thursday.

Angela Minicuci, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Health and Human Services, told the Free Press Friday that it’s highly unlikely they’ll ever be able to determine what caused two spikes in Legionnaires’ disease in Genesee County. She said officials must look at a specimen from the person who got sick and match it to a specimen from the environment.

“Because these people are no longer ill and because there’s a good chance that something may have changed in the environment since the time they were potentially exposed, it’s very difficult to go back and actually make those associations,” Minicuci said.

Legionnaires’ is a severe form of pneumonia caused by the Legionella bacteria. The bacteria also can produce a milder form of illness known as Pontiac fever, with flu like symptoms.

Legionella in water is “fairly common,” Minicuci said.

Since June 2014, 61 out of 87 people were exposed to Flint water either at home or at a Flint health care facility connected to the city's water system — in some cases both — before contracting the disease, a Free Press analysis of state data shows.

A state report shows that in the first 10 months of the outbreak, 51% of confirmed cases included people who had been patients or visitors at McLaren Flint two weeks before getting sick.

The hospital released a statement Friday saying after Flint switched its source of water from Lake Huron to the Flint River in April 2014, they noticed an increase in Legionella cases and people seeking treatment.

“We began aggressively testing our water supply,” a statement provided by the hospital said. “An early test result indicated the presence of a low level of Legionella. As soon as this was identified, McLaren Flint put immediate measures in place that were successful in controlling the situation.”

That test result came back in August 2014, hospital spokeswoman Laurie Prochazka said.

The hospital has installed a $300,000 secondary water disinfectant system and lead filters on water and ice machines, the statement said. Testing shows McLaren Flint’s water supply is “within safety and quality standards,” it said.

“No tests have ever determined that McLaren is the source of exposure for any patients testing positive for the Legionella antigen,” the statement said.

Stout said she consulted with McLaren Flint on reducing Legionella and also talked to officials with the Genesee County Health Department. She said McLaren Flint is much safer than many hospitals across the U.S. who have yet to test their water for Legionella.

Stout said smaller water systems, like homes, are less likely to have Legionella than larger water systems like those found in apartment buildings, hospitals and hotels.

According to the Genesee County Health Department, people contract Legionnaires’ disease by breathing in a mist or vapor containing the bacteria and can’t get it from drinking water containing Legionella.

People most at risk to get Legionnaires’ disease include smokers or former smokers, people with health problems and elderly people.

Contact Kristi Tanner: ktanner@freepress.com

Contact Elisha Anderson: eanderson@freepress.com