Legionella pneumophila
Legionella is currently the leading cause of US waterborne disease outbreaks but is still believed to be under-reported. Legionella is different from typical waterborne pathogens in that the route of exposure is inhalation rather than ingestion.
The National Academy of Sciences convened an expert committee to review the state of the science related to the management of Legionella in water systems, formulate recommendations to improve management of Legionella contamination of water systems, and consequently better control Legionnaires’ disease in the United States. The report was completed in August 2019 and is entitled Management of Legionella in Water Systems. In conjunction with this report, NAS also released interactive science-based guidance for facility managers.