4th July 1998

My mother was positively diagnosed with Legionairres this past Tuesday....she has been sick since Mother's Day weekend and now both of her grandchildren which are 1 and 3 and her daughter are getting sick with "something". Any info would be very helpful....all are on Eurythromycen (sp?).....

15th. July 1998

Hi Denis

A young woman emailed me and had told me about her mother and herself that had became infected with legionnella from a urgent care center in Statesville North Carolina and she said about 10 people were testing positive for the disease and she said they were treating it as Pontiac Fever and were given no antibiotics and the care center was still open for business so i took matters into my own hands and contacted the county board of health in statesville nc and told them everything i knew and gave them jaque phone number and they called me back the very same day to let me know that a full investigation was being done but would refused to call me later to let me know the outcome so jaque is going to get me all the information i need also i called our local news station here in Michigan to let them know what i am up to.

Source
Legionnaires Disease Foundation

July 15th.1998

This is such a long story now it is unbelievable. My mother called out sick Mothers's Day weekend. She works at ********** in Statesville, NC and had just started there 2 months prior with a rare case of ever missing a day of work. Sometime during the same time of the month of May, Dr *****, a doctor that also works there, had test results come back positive for Legionella and Pertussis.
He had been sick and had himself tested within the clinic. Therefore the Lab personnel knew what was going on with him.
My mother was later tested and her labs came back as an exposure level to Pertussis and a positive to Legionella.
Now, a year and a half ago another employee there came down with Legionella and nearly died from it, thinking it was nothing but a cold.
It was determined by labs that she had legionella and it never was reported. My mother's case has not been reported, and neither has Dr ***Now everyone down there is getting sick and the health dept won't do anything about it. I spoke with them myself and they knew nothing about the 20+ positive cases of Pertussis there and nothing about the 3 and possbily more cases of Legionella. Everyone coming back with an exposure level titre to Legionella is being told they were negative as well as me and are not being asked to test again in 2 weeks.
My children got sick 2 1/2 weeks after my youngest was seen there and then I got so sick I had to go to the ER because it was so hard for me to breath. The doctor who saw me in the ER called me (I was seen on July 4) on the following Tuesday and said my tests for legonella were negative and when I asked him if I had an exposure level he told me everything was negative. Yesterday the Lab Tech calles me wanting to find out who my family doctor is because my test came back with an exposure level titre of 64. My doctor has yet to call me. I should be retested this upcoming Monday...that will be 2 weeks for me.
My big question is should I now have my kids tested since they were both sick, especially my youngest one? What do you think?

That is basically it. The health dept claims to know nothing yet have been in there speaking to the administrative staff last week. It is like some big secret and everyone is covering everyone else's butt. No one see's any need to test the air in there and they are having numerous cases of resporatory illness come through there daily!! The health dept says there is absolutley no reason to test the air. Not even for the employees and our peace of mind. Something IS going on down there. The building was a spa/fitness center before it became a medical facility and it is to my understanding they choose not to change the air system at the time they inhabited the building. They have been in it for around 7 years now. Please let me know what we should do. My mother is still sick. Should I have my two kids tested. They are only 1 and 3 and I asked the health dept if they were tested and showed either an exposure level or a positive did that mean anything and they still said no. Where could they have been exposed except where everyone else is getting sick. I have always stayed home with my kids. They have not been sickly children. What do I do. What do I tell my mother to do? Several attorney's have been contacted and TV Stations...one has called my mother. She has talked to an attorney but refuses to talk to the media right now.

Thank you for your time and help with this.

Another Interesting Email dated 2nd.May 1998

I was wondering if you could offer any information. Recently my 8yr.old daughter tested pos.for Legionella Pneumophila,for the first blood test. We have the second blood test in two weeks. The major concern i am having is that her second grade teacher died in february from legionnaries disease .
The school which my child attends is in very bad condition,roof with numerous leaks with large trash cans holing this water for long periods of time,mold and mildew growing on the walls and this is quite visible,a black substance oozing from wall tiles,there was a problem with numerous children being bitten by sall bugs. A large percentage of students have been ill a lot this year,
I know personally my child has been on more than she ever has before. The school she attends is currently shut down due to parents fear,because they believe there is something in the school making our children ill if not the legionnaries then ther is something.. Please if you have any information or advice please contact me
Thankyou