Clerk’s Office Tests Negative for Legionnaires

By AMBER STEWART

County clerk’s office employee did not contract Legionnaires at work.

Over a month after an employee in the Williamson County clerk’s office was hospitalized with Legionnaire’s disease, tests have shown that she did not contract the illness at work.

Legionnaires disease is caused by the bacterium Legionella, which likes to grow in damp, cool places such as cooling towers and large fountains. At the time of the employee’s diagnosis, some were concerned that an air conditioner near her desk was in disrepair.

Keith Feinstein, property manager of the Williamson County Administrative Complex, says that this air conditioner was tested as well as four other areas in the building: an ice machine, water fountain, women’s bathroom faucet, and break room faucet. All of these tested negative.

Samples were collected on October 12, and were sent to an independent lab for testing.

Legionnaires symptoms are flu-like, but unlike the flu, the disease cannot be passed from person to person.