November 2023: Direct From CDC/Environmental Health Services
Journal of Environmental Health
November 2023
Volume 86, Number 4
Editor's Note: The National Environmental Health Association strives to provide up-to-date and relevant information on environmental health and to build partnerships in the profession. In pursuit of these goals, we feature a column on environmental health services from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in every issue of the Journal of Environmental Health.
In these columns, authors from the CDC Water, Food, and Environmental Health Services Branch, as well as guest authors, will share tools, resources, and guidance for environmental health practitioners. The conclusions of these columns are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position of CDC.
Tools From The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Can Help Prevent and Control Legionella Growth and Spread
LCDR Nakia S. Clemmons, MPH, REHS, CIC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Legionella bacteria are naturally found in freshwater. In the right environment, these bacteria can cause illness when people inhale or aspirate aerosolized droplets of water containing Legionella. Environmental health knowledge is critical in preventing and controlling Legionella outbreaks, but many jurisdictions lack environmental health capacity. CDC developed the Legionella Environmental Assessment Form (LEAF) to help environmental health practitioners and public health officials assess and understand facility water systems and aerosolizing devices. This month’s column highlights several Legionella assessment tools from CDC that can help support environmental health investigators. It also explores how these tools can help improve environmental health decision making.