US Legionnaires' disease cases surge 450% in 20 years
There is an increasing number cases of Legionnaires' disease in the US. It is a severe form of pneumonia caught from breathing droplets of bacteria-infected water. Warmer weather and increased use of pools and showers are thought to be contributing factors. Although the disease is still rare, the US has seen a 450% rise in cases in 20 years, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. The news came as the head of the Michigan health department was charged over the Flint water crisis in which at least one person died of the disease.
Cases of Legionnaires' disease have been appearing across the United States in the past few weeks.

Four Florida gym-goers fell ill after coming into contact with contaminated water, two hotel guests in Last Vegas contracted the lung infection and New York City police officers were warned against showering at their station due to the disease.

The outbreak is concerning because of the warmer season when people are more likely to head to public swimming pools and use the showers and hot tubs, where most cases occur.

The potentially fatal disease is a severe form of pneumonia and develops when people breathe small droplets of bacteria-infected water.

Although contracting Legionnaires' is rare, there has been a 450 percent increase of cases in the past two decades, according to a new CDC report.

The news comes on the same week Nick Lyon, head of the Michigan health department, was charged with involuntary manslaughter for the Flint water crisis, where at least one person died of Legionnaires' disease.

The outbreaks follow a pattern of concerning news to America's water supply as a report in May revealed that nearly 30 million people have contaminated tap water.

Cases of Legionnaires' disease have been reported throughout the United States in the past few weeks. Outbreaks were found in Las Vegas, New York and Florida. Pictured: Legionella pneumophila bacteria

The CDC reported there has been a 450 percent increase in the number of cases reported in a 15-year span (pictured)

Two guests of the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas contracted Legionnaires' disease while they were staying at the resort in the months of March and April.

The hotel released a statement on June 9 confirming the outbreak and said it was intensely cleaning, using Chlorine at high temperatures to disinfect the rooms.

New York City was the next area to fall victim when a police officer was diagnosed with the sickness and officers were advised not to shower at the East Harlem station.

Although the police officers were told they could still use cold water to cook and drink, several were on edge about drinking any water there, according to reports.

The Florida Health Department confirmed on Tuesday that four people became sick and all were members of two separate LA Fitness gyms in the Orange County area.

Health officials said showers and spas at both locations were in need of a disinfecting treatment with a hydrochlorinated solution.

WHAT IS LEGIONNAIRES' DISEASE? Legionnaires' disease is a serious lung infection caused by legionella bacteria. Initial symptoms include a high fever, muscle pain and chills. Once the bacteria infects a person's lungs, they may also develop a persistent cough, chest pains and breathing problems. Legionnaires' disease is usually caught by breathing in small droplets of contaminated water. It is not contagious and cannot be spread directly from person to person. Legionella bacteria is commonly found in water, including lakes and rivers, though is often in harmlessly low numbers. However, the bacteria can multiply if they find their way into artificial water supplies, including air conditioning systems. Legionnaires' disease is commonly treated with a course of antibiotics. The condition can be particularly serious in people with pre-existing health problems. Most people make a full recovery, but in some cases it can lead to further life-threatening complications. The disease can cause your lungs and kidneys to stop working properly. Another complication is septic shock, which is the result of a blood infection causing a sudden drop in blood pressure. Between 10 and 15 percent of otherwise healthy people who contract Legionnaires' disease will die due to problems as a result of the condition. Advertisement !- - ad: https://mads.dailymail.co.uk/v8/ru/health/none/article/other/mpu_factbox.html?id=mpu_factbox_1 - ->

On Wednesday, Nick Lyon was charged of involuntary manslaughter for failing to alert the public to an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in the Flint area, which has been linked by some experts to poor water quality in 2014 and 2015.

Lyon's failure to act resulted in the death of at least one person, 85-year-old Robert Skidmore, a special agent told a judge.

City officials began using water from the Flint River in 2014, but didn't treat it to reduce corrosion, causing lead from old plumbing to leach into the water system and infect citizens.

Some experts also have linked the water to Legionnaires' disease, a type of pneumonia caused by bacteria that thrive in warm water and infect the lungs.

People can get sick if they inhale mist or vapor, typically from cooling systems, and there were nearly 100 cases in the Flint area, including 12 deaths, in 2014 and 2015.

Lyon was personally briefed in January 2015 but 'took no action to alert the public of a deadly' outbreak until nearly a year later, the agent said.

He has admitted that he was aware of Legionnaires' for months but wanted to wait until investigators in the Health and Human Services Department finished their own probe in order to 'solve the problem' before raising it to officials in Snyder's administration.

There are around 6,000 cases of the disease reported each year, according to the CDC.

From 2000 to 2015, rates of incidence sky rocketed to 450 percent.

The organization reported that this increase may be due to better diagnostic tests and better monitoring by hospitals.

A report by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) found that state in the nation had breached the Safe Drinking Water Act combining in 80,000 safety violations affecting 77 million people's drinking water.

Officials said that 15 percent of those offenses were health-based contamination, including lead, copper, arsenic or cancer-causing poisons.

These pollutants can lead to liver and kidney damage, cancer and birth defects. Lead exposure is especially detrimental to children with possible learning disabilities and damage to the central nervous system.

Legionnaires' disease is a serious lung infection caused by legionella bacteria. Once the bacteria infects a person's lungs, they may also develop a persistent cough, chest pains and breathing problems. Pictured: Symptoms of the disease