Sixth case of Legionnaire's diagnosed at Stadium Place
The Baltimore Health Department reported Thursday that a sixth resident of the senior living facility Stadium Place has been diagnosed with Legionnaire's disease since the outbreak began in early October. One resident has died, but the conditions of the others are unknown. City officials, along with the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, continue to look for the source of the problem. Olivia D. Farrow, Baltimore's interim health commissioner, called it a "tough investigation" because there is not a centralized water system or cooling tower in the four-building complex. Residents in two buildings have contracted the disease, a form of pneumonia. Farrow said the authorities have sent water samples out for testing to see where there are elevated levels of Legionella, a common bacteria that generally only sickens the elderly and those with underlying health conditions. Results are not expected for another week and a half. In the meantime, she stressed that Legionnaire's is not spread person to person; rather, it is inhaled in water droplets. She advised residents to bathe instead of shower and use the dishwasher instead of washing dishes in a sink.
- Meredith Cohn
City College is naming auditorium after Schaefer
City College is holding a ceremony today to formally name the school auditorium after William Donald Schaefer, the former mayor and governor and a 1939 graduate, according to the school's alumni association. Schaefer is being recognized for his public service to the city and the state during the year of his 70th class reunion. Mayor Sheila Dixon endorsed the idea in July, and the Baltimore school board was informed of the decision in August. The Class of 1949 is donating money for the lettering for a sign outside the auditorium.
Franklin Square Hospital plans drive-through flu shots
Franklin Square Hospital Center will hold a drive-through seasonal flu vaccination clinic at 10 a.m. Sunday at the Essex campus of the Community College of Baltimore County, 7201 Rossville Blvd. The immunizations are free and will be given on a first-come, first-served basis. The clinic will have 2,000 doses of the seasonal flu vaccine but will not offer H1N1 vaccine.
Plan targets Frederick illegal immigrant students
Frederick County officials are considering asking state lawmakers to require a count of students with questionable immigration status in the county's public schools. Republican commissioners Charles Jenkins and John L. Thompson introduced the plan Tuesday as a legislative proposal. The county commissioners could recommend the measure next week to the county's legislative delegation, which would then decide whether to introduce a bill in the General Assembly. The Maryland Board of Education ruled in March that the county cannot require local school officials to seek the immigration status of students without a valid reason. Thompson told The Frederick News-Post on Wednesday that the new plan would only produce a rough tally of students whose legal presence in the country can't be reasonably determined.
- Associated Press
