BALTIMORE — For a second time, elevated levels of legionella bacteria have been discovered in Baltimore City courthouses.
The mayor's office said testing was ordered for the Baltimore City District (People's) Courthouse at 501 E. Fayette Street, Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. Courthouse at 100 N. Calvert Street, and Elijah E. Cummings Courthouse, at 111 N Calvert Street on February 11, and the results came back positive on February 21.
Officials added that "the City will be conducting mitigation efforts, including flushing and chlorination treatments, over the weekend. The City has taken these steps, including the precautionary testing that discovered the elevated levels and the robust mitigation efforts, out of an abundance of caution."
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Between the months of November and December, multiple city buildings reported elevated levels of the bacteria.
The State Center building reported elevated levels in November 2024, in December, multiple Baltimore City courthouses, City Hall, and two other city buildings also reported elevated levels.
Officials said that the previous mass cleaning removed 98% of the bacteria, but there are other factors that could have contributed to the re-emergence of the elevated levels.
Some of those factors include the ages of the buildings and the internal plumbing systems.
READ MORE: Baltimore City Hall, 2 other city buildings closed after legionella bacteria found
In response to this, the City plans to install additional mechanical water management systems that prevent bacterial growth.
Installation is planned for the coming weeks, city officials added.
"This state-of-the-art system is the same design utilized in hospitals and other sensitive locations that are prone or vulnerable to elevated bacteria levels. The City will continue to monitor the situation over the coming months to determine if more extensive mitigation efforts need to be conducted."
According to the Baltimore City Health Department, there have been no confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease in connection to the elevated levels of the bacteria.
"BCHD will continue to monitor for relevant reports and work in coordination with the Maryland Department of Health to address any concerns as they arise."
There is also minimal impact on Baltimore's water distribution system, according to the Department of Public Works.
Legionella is a bacterium that can be found in many natural and man-made water systems.
Background information on Legionella Bacteria and Related Health Concerns:
Legionella is a bacterium that can be found in many natural and man-made water systems. The most common way for someone to get sick is by breathing in small droplets of water contaminated with legionella that is sprayed in the air (i.e. water mist or vapor). Most healthy people exposed to legionella do not get sick.
Individuals who do get sick experience symptoms including cough, fever, headache, muscle aches, and shortness of breath. If you are experiencing symptoms of pneumonia (cough, fever, shortness of breath, chest pain), contact your healthcare provider. There are many forms of pneumonia, and respiratory infections with symptoms that overlap with pneumonia. Your health care provider can help determine the cause of your symptoms. Urine tests or sputum tests are the best tests to diagnose Legionnaires’ disease. Note that blood tests are usually not as helpful in diagnosing Legionnaires’ disease.
