
Legionella & Legionnaires’ Disease (Legionellosis)
Legionella is a naturally occurring waterborne bacteria that can be found in building water systems such as water storage containers or pipes. Exposure normally occurs when contaminated water is aerosolized and inhaled into the lungs.
This collection provides information on the risks posed by legionella to water systems and the preventative management, standards and sampling/testing of the bacteria in building water systems. Health information and outbreak case studies for Legionnaire’s Disease (Legionellosis) and Pontiac Fever are included.
Visit our online library’s main webpage to find more resources on topics related to drinking water.
Information on Legionnaires’ Disease (Legionellosis) & Pontiac Fever
- History, Mystery, and Discovery: 40 Years of Legionnaires’ Disease
- Legionella
- Legionella: Drinking Water Health Advisory
- Legionella (Legionnaires’ Disease and Pontiac Fever)
- Legionella: NCCEH
- Legionella: Who’s Addressing the Risks in Canada?
- Legionellosis Fact Sheet
- Legionellosis (Legionnaires’ Disease and Pontiac Fever)
- Legionnaires’ Disease: CDC
- Legionnaires’ Disease: CCOHS
CDC Toolkits
- Toolkit on Developing a Water Management Program to Reduce Legionella Growth and Spread in Buildings
- Toolkit for Controlling Legionella in Common Sources of Exposure
- Sampling for Legionella/Environmental Assessments/Developing Sample Plan Videos
Prevention with Building Water Management Programs
- Public Health Ontario – Legionella Questions and Answers
- Legionella Educational Series: Understanding Building Risk Factors
- Six Steps To Develop A Water Safety Plan And Comply With ASHRAE Standard 188-2015 – Legionella – A Canadian Perspective
- Communicable Disease Control: Legionella Outbreak Investigation and Control
- Conducting and Interpreting the Environmental Assessment
- Control of Legionella bacteria in the Public Services and Procurement Canada real property portfolio
- Cooling Tower Registries and Building Water Management Plans: Strategies to combat Legionnaires’ Disease
- Information Bulletin: Workplace Health and Safety Guideline – Legionella
- Legionella and the prevention of legionellosis
- Legionella Ecology and an Introduction to Environmental Health and Engineering
- Legionella Environmental Assessment Form
- Legionella Questions and Answers: Public Health Ontario
- Legionella – Quick Facts
- Legionnaires’ Disease Prevention: Making a Splash with Safe Water
- Legionnaires’ Disease: Use water management programs in buildings to help prevent outbreaks
- Legionellosis: Cause and Controls
- Monitoring Your Building Water
- Photos of Various Types of Cooling Towers
- Preventing Legionnaires’ Disease: Environmental Health Expertise Is Key
- Preventing Occupational Exposure to Legionellapdf icon
- Prevention with Water Management Programs
- Procedures for Identifying Cooling Towers
- Turning the Tide: The Role of Water Management to Prevent Legionnaires’ Disease
Photos of Cooling Towerspdf icPreventing Legionnaires’ Disease: A Training on Legionella Water Management Progr
Extended Shut-Down and Reduced Occupancy Procedures for Building Water Management
- Building Shutdown and Re-opening during the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Guidance for managing Legionella in building water systems during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Reopening Buildings After Prolonged Shutdown or Reduced Operation
- Information on Maintaining or Restoring Water Quality in Buildings with Low or No Use
Sampling & Testing Kits
- How to Make a Sampling Plan for Legionellosis Outbreak Investigations
- How to Sample Cooling Towers during Legionellosis Outbreak Investigations
- How to Sample Potable Water during Legionellosis Outbreak Investigations
- How to Sample Spas and Fountains during Legionellosis Outbreak Investigations
- Legiolert: For detection of Legionella pneumophila
- Public Health Ontario: Testing Resources
- Sample Data Sheet
- Sampling Procedure and Potential Sampling Sites
Standards, Codes & By-laws
- ANSI/ASHRAE STANDARD 188-2018, Legionellosis: Risk Management for Building Water Systems
- ASHRAE Guideline 12-2020: Managing the Risk of Legionellosis Associated with Building Water Systems
- Read-Only Versions of ASHRAE Standards
- ASHRAE 188: Legionellosis: Risk Management for Building Water Systems: Questions and Answers
- MD 15161-2013 Control of Legionella in Mechanical Systems
- National Building Code of Canada 2015
- National Plumbing Code of Canada 2015
Online Training Modules
Surveillance Data & Outbreak Investigation
- A Large Community Outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease Associated With a Cooling Tower in New York City, 2015
- Current and Emerging Legionella Diagnostics for Laboratory and Outbreak Investigations
- Legionella: A reemerging pathogen
- Legionella Regulation, Cooling Tower Positivity and Water Quality in the Quebec Context
- Legionnaires’ Disease Cases at a Large Community Hospital—Common and Underdiagnosed
- Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak at a Long-Term Care Facility Caused by a Cooling Tower Using an Automated Disinfection System
- Legionellosis following water birth in a hot tub in a Canadian neonate
- Legionellosis: Key Considerations for Case and Environmental Exposure Investigation
- Multiple Sources of the Outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease in Genesee County, Michigan
- Outbreaks of Legionnaires’ Disease and Pontiac Fever 2006–2017
- Public Health Ontario: Infectious Disease Trends
- Racial Disparities and Legionnaires’ Disease
- Strategies to Combat Legionnaires’ Disease – Outbreak Investigation and Preventive Policy
- The influence of climate change on waterborne disease and Legionella: A review
- Uncertainties associated with assessing the public health risk from Legionella
- Vital Signs: Deficiencies in Environmental Control Identified in Outbreaks of Legionnaires’ Disease
- Vital Signs: Health Care–Associated Legionnaires’ Disease Surveillance Data from 20 States and a Large Metropolitan Area
- Water Management Gaps and Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreaks
Webinars
- Customer Messaging on Opportunistic Pathogens in Plumbing Systems
- Interpreting the Environmental Assessment for Legionellosis Outbreaks
- Legionella Ecology & Intro to Environmental Health & Engineering for Outbreaks
- Legionella Management and Guidelines
- Management Technologies for Prevention and Mitigation of Legionella
- Managing Legionella Risk in Buildings through Water Safety Management Planning Seminar Recordings
- State of the Science of Opportunistic Pathogens in Premise Plumbing
- Strategies to Combat Legionnaires’ Disease – Outbreak Investigation and Preventative Policy
View these similar posts on the WCWC online library for more information.
Managing Legionella Risk in Buildings Through Water Safety Management Planning Seminar
Safe Drinking Water: Lessons from Outbreaks Course Resources
Responsibilities Under the Statuary Standard of Care – Safe Drinking Water Act Course Resources
Photo from https://ncceh.ca/environmental-health-in-canada/health-agency-projects/legionella
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Public Health Inspector Resources
Guides
Drinking Water Quality in Canada
Ontario Public Health Standards: Protocols and Guidelines
Drinking Water Haulage Guidance Document
Practices for the Collection and Handling of Drinking Water Samples
Procedure for Disinfection of Drinking Water in Ontario
Public Health Inspectors Guide
Response to Adverse Drinking Water Quality Incidents
Small Drinking Water Systems: Operator’s Guide
Small Drinking Water Systems: Who Does What in Ontario?
Technical Support Document for Ontario Drinking Water Standards, Objectives and Guidelines
Protocols & Guidelines
Operational Approaches for Recreational Water Guideline, 2018
Recreational Water Protocol, 2019
Recreational Water Reference Document, 2019
Safe Drinking Water and Fluoride Monitoring Protocol, 2019
Small Drinking Water Systems Risk Assessment Guideline, 2018
Regulations
Health Protection and Promotion Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.7
Ontario Water Resources Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. O.40
O. Reg. 170/03: DRINKING WATER SYSTEMS
O. Reg. 319/08: SMALL DRINKING WATER SYSTEMS
Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 32
Sampling & Analysis
Bacteriological Analysis of Water: Multiple Sample Requisition for Official Agencies
Drinking Water Testing – Official Agencies | Public Health Ontario
Drinking Water Testing – Private Citizen
Potability of Water Release Form
Practices for the Collection and Handling of Drinking Water Samples
Recreational Water Facilities and Public Pools Spas
Requisition for Specimen Containers and Supplies
Sewage, Suspected Sewage Contamination – Water
Water Testing – Who to Contact
Water Sample Analysis – Public Health Inspectors Guide
Well Water Testing (Private Drinking Water)
Arsenic from community water fluoridation: quantifying the effect
Emergency Management : Keeping Food and Water Safe after a Flood
Zika Virus Infection and the Flint, Michigan, Water Crisis: A Study in Surprising Commonalities
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Find Licensed Well Contractors
Laboratory Accreditation and Licensing
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
Ministry of the Environment – District Locator
Ministry of the Environment – Drinking Water
Legionella
Environmental Microbiology Investigation Requisition Form
Legionella and the prevention of legionellosis
Legionella: Introduction of molecular screening of environmental water samples
Legionella (Legionnaires’ Disease and Pontiac Fever)
Legionella: questions and answers, 2nd edition
Legionella – Respiratory PCR and Culture
Legionellosis in Ontario, January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018
Legionellosis (Legionella, Legionnaires Disease)
Presentations
Legionellosis: Key Considerations for Case and Environmental Exposure Investigation
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