Proceedings of the Emory University’s May 2016 workshop on Legionella are now available online through the Emory Center for Public Health Preparedness and Research’s website (here) or on YouTube via Emory University’s official YouTube channel (here).
Held on May 25 – 26, 2016 in Atlanta, GA, the workshop entitled “From Watersheds to Shower heads: A Workshop on Legionella” brought together top experts on Legionella from the United States and abroad to identify and discuss the most salient research and policy gaps that exist in Legionella control and prevention. Funded by a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to Emory University, the goal of the workshop was to encourage increased federal government and National Academies’ interest and support for research and policy development into Legionella control and prevention in built water systems.
Over 80 experts convened for the workshop where they identified critical knowledge gaps needed to advance our ability to protect against Legionellosis. Workshop attendees represented a wide variety of disciplines, including water science, environmental engineering, environmental microbiology, epidemiology, hospital infection control, environmental health, and infectious diseases, among others. Session topics included: emerging challenges in water security and conservation; diagnostic testing, public health surveillance, and epidemiology; environmental monitoring and testing; approaches for control and primary prevention; engineering and infrastructure controls; public water supply and utility level controls; and an overview of the current legal considerations and ramifications of Legionella amplification and case detection. Special sessions were also included on New York City’s response to the 2015 Legionnaires’ Disease outbreak in the South Bronx and the work of Genesee County health officials during the increase in cases of Legionnaires Disease in Flint, Michigan in 2014-2015.