On December 9, 2017, Ford confirmed that it found a “low concentration” of Legionella bacteria in the cooling tower of the plant in Claycomo, Missouri.
Ford issued the following statement:
When routine testing detected a low concentration of legionella bacteria in an outside cooling tower, we quickly disinfected that location and notified our workforce.”
Ford insists that the level of Legionella detected in their recent tests is “very low and does not present a health risk to our workers.”
A case of Legionnaires’ disease was recently confirmed in Kansas City at the end of November 2017. The woman who got sick believes she fell ill while working at the Ford Plant in Claycomo, Missouri.
Family members say the woman has been in a medically induced coma for 2 weeks and underwent surgery at Liberty Hospital.
Legionella is a bacteria that causes a rare but serious type of pneumonia in some people who breathe the bacteria in the air. It is often traced to buildings with complex water systems, air conditioning, fountains, hot tubs, showers, or pools.
Legionella does not spread through person-to-person contact, but it is commonly found in stagnant water. Most people who are exposed to the bacteria do not develop Legionnaires’ disease.
Source: Case of Legionnaires’ disease confirmed in metro area