Legionella is everywhere according to Dr. David Davenport, the medical director of infection, prevention and control services at Ascension Borgess Hospital.
He said complex water systems in large institutions like hospitals are always at risk, according to an article on the WWMT.com website.
The unseasonably warm weather West Michigan has experienced this season could be a factor in how much Legionella is in the area, he said, but that’s difficult to say with certainty.
As of June 2017, hospitals across the country are mandated to develop a water management program that includes testing water systems for Legionella, and treating that system should they discover the bacteria.