Signs posted around the George C. Young Federal Annex Courthouse in downtown Orlando warn court staff and visitors to be wary of the water because of the presence of the bacterium which causes Legionnaires’ disease — the latest incident in Orange County, which has the state’s highest tally of confirmed cases of the potentially deadly pneumonia this year.

The General Services Administration (GSA), which manages the federal building on West Washington Street, put up the signs a few weeks ago to quell concerns after tests of water pipes and fixtures found higher than recommended levels of legionella, Senior Judge Anne Conway said.

“We were told don’t drink the water,” she said.

GSA and state health officials were mum when the Orlando Sentinel questioned them about rumors of problems at the federal courthouse earlier this month. But the judge shared notes with the Sentinel from a meeting she attended earlier this month with judges and courthouse employees in which GSA officials laid out a water-quality management effort, assisted by Dr. Janet Stout, an infectious disease microbiologist.

Stout specializes in control strategies to prevent Legionnaires’ disease.

Meeting participants were informed one courthouse employee had been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease.

Worry over legionella in the annex’s fixtures leaked out in the wake of recent news reports of a local outbreak of the disease, which is often mild but potentially lethal to persons over age 50; current and former smokers; and people with weakened immune systems.

A searchable database on the Florida Department of Health website shows Orange County leads the state with 100 confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease this year, including 15 in the first two weeks of December with another 10 other cases listed as “probable.”

No other county has had more than 62 confirmed cases.

The warning notices posted in English and Spanish at the courthouse include a link to a federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention bulletin outlining the risks of Legionella. In bold type, the notices say, “Normal use of the water may continue, however, individuals in higher risk groups may consider alternate methods of hygiene like filling sinks slowly to reduce mist or temporarily avoiding showers at the facility.”

It notes the disease can occur when small droplets of water containing Legionella are inhaled.

“GSA is committed to ensuring the safety of federal employees, contractors, and visitors in our federal buildings,” agency spokesperson Osvaldo Equite said in an emailed response to the Sentinel earlier this month. “GSA has developed a proactive approach to assess and treat water systems. We’re communicating regularly with our tenant agencies to ensure that our facilities can continue to be used safely and we can work together to support their mission as more employees return to the office.”

Legionnaires’ disease is generally treated with antibiotics. “Most people who get sick need care in a hospital but make a full recovery,” according to the poster which also includes a dire note. “However, one out of 10 people who get Legionnaires’ disease will die from the infection.”

Fourteen confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease last month in Orange County were known to have had “gym exposure” at an Ocoee fitness center, according to information obtained by state Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, from a state health liaison. Two gym members of Crunch Fitness in Ocoee told news reporters they believed they had contracted the disease at that facility.

But Crunch Fitness later said state health department tests found no Legionella bacteria at its gym. The gym said state health department records show samples, taken on Nov. 21, from over 20 swabs inside the gym’s showers, sinks, spas, pool and water main had no growth of the Legionella bacteria.

According to the CDC, outbreaks “are often associated with large or complex water systems, like those found in hospitals, hotels and cruise ships.” Likely sources of infection include water drops from hot tubs, decorative fountains and cooling towers of large air-conditioning systems.

Legionnaires’ disease was named after a lung infection caused by a bacterium identified as the cause of pneumonia that killed 29 people in 1976 at an American Legion Convention in Philadelphia. More recently, severe outbreaks have reported on cruise ships.

Most affected persons experience symptoms which include a cough, shortness of breath and high fever.

About 6,000 Legionnaires’ disease cases are reported each year in the United States.

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