"Nothing is more important than the safety and health of our employees," American Airlines spokesman Matt Miller told NBC Dallas Fort-Worth, which broke the story. "We're taking extra precaution and establishing additional safety procedures."
The airline has now installed filters on the showers and faucets, and is providing bottled water to all employees.
"Our facilities continue to be a safe place to work," Miller stated. "And we're working with local authorities and our partners at the airport on long-term safety measures to ensure the cleanliness of the water at our maintenance hangars."
Legionella bacteria tends to breed in pipes, rather than the water supply itself, Dr. Mark Till, chairman of the emergency department at Texas Health Presbyterian, explained to the network. Routine testing has reportedly not shown anything unusual in the water supply in Dallas or Fort Worth — both of which provide water to the airport.
Legionnaire’s disease is a severe form of pneumonia that causes fevers, headaches, difficulty in breathing, and aching muscles.
The person who was showing symptoms has since recovered, and no other cases have yet been reported. The fatality rate for those who are diagnosed with Legionnaires disease is approximately 15 percent.
