Legionella Testing Services

Cinnaminson, New Jersey, March 18, 2025

The Vermont Department of Health (VDH) issued a Health Advisory earlier this year to health care providers after an outbreak of six cases of Legionnaires’ disease was detected in Windsor County. The cases were associated with an independent and assisted living apartment complex.

According to the VDH advisory:

Legionella can be found in natural, freshwater environments, but generally is not present in sufficient numbers to cause disease. In human-made water systems that are not properly maintained, Legionella can grow and be transmitted to vulnerable people via aerosolization of water droplets containing the bacteria, or, less commonly, by aspiration of contaminated drinking water. Routes of exposure may include showerheads and sink faucets, cooling towers, hot tubs, decorative fountains and water features, hot water tanks and heaters, and large, complex plumbing systems. 

“Tragically in this case, there has been one fatality and several hospitalizations,” said Jason Dobranic, Ph.D., Vice President of Microbiology and Life Sciences at EMSL Analytical, Inc. “Legionella becomes a serious health concern if it grows and spreads in building water systems, especially in places with elderly occupants. Water management programs to detect Legionella exposure risks from manmade water systems can help to prevent illnesses, outbreaks, and fatalities.”

EMSL Analytical, with laboratories across the United States and Canada, has decades of experience identifying environmental sources of Legionella. They offer traditional culturing methods, and rapid PCR and Whole Genome Sequencing methods. A number of their laboratories have received the CDC’s Certificate of Proficiency from its Elite Program for Legionella testing and some are also NYSDOH ELAP Legionella certified.

To learn more about Legionella or other microbial testing services, please visit www.LegionellaTesting.com or www.EMSL.com, email info@EMSL.com, or call (800) 220-3675.