Legionella ? discovered in 1976 when it sickened attendees of an American Legion conference ? is alive and flourishing, often in hospital water pipes.

Federal guidelines call for testing and disinfection procedures only after hospital-acquired cases crop up, said Janet Stout, microbiologist with the University of Pittsburgh. “However, the mortality rate is so high, that?s after people have died.”

Recommended Stories

French protest violence eases and scattered riots hit Germany ahead of more action

Somali pirates seize Iranian fishing vessel, raising fears of attacks on cargo ships

Four reasons why Democrats deserve a midterm shock