Oakland County investigators have confirmed a case of Legionnaires’ disease at Woodward Hills Rehabilitation in Bloomfield Hills, triggering strict temporary limits on the facility’s water use. Residents have been told they cannot shower or use tap water while officials work to pinpoint the source, and families say staff have been relying on sponge baths and bottled water to get residents through basic daily care. County epidemiologists describe the measures as precautionary while clinical and environmental testing moves forward.
Investigation timeline and water testing
According to WXYZ/7 News Detroit, a patient sample was collected last Wednesday, and facility staff gathered water samples last Thursday The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services then notified Oakland County of the confirmed Legionnaires’ case last Friday. Woodward Hills has paused showers and resident tap water use while investigators trace the source and collect additional environmental samples. The facility declined to comment when contacted by reporters, and one family member told WXYZ that her 81-year-old mother has gone days without a bath.
Precautions, filters and a months-long testing plan
Dr. Michael Swain, an epidemiologist with Oakland County, told WXYZ that showers are an important risk because Legionella has to become aerosolized to infect people, and that officials have ordered sponge baths until point-of-use filters are in place. Swain said the filters are expected to be installed by next week and that the facility will then go through nine rounds of water testing, a process he said could stretch to about six months. County nurses have also emphasized that visitors, guests and staff currently face limited risk from eating or drinking at the facility under existing guidance, according to WXYZ.
How Legionella spreads and who is most vulnerable
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains that Legionella bacteria thrive in warm, stagnant water and typically infect people when they breathe in tiny aerosolized droplets from sources such as showers, cooling towers or complex building water systems. Older adults, people with chronic lung disease and those with weakened immune systems face a higher risk of severe illness. Legionnaires’ disease is treated with antibiotics when it is caught early. CDC guidance stresses strong water-management plans and rigorous post-remediation testing schedules, similar to the multi-round monitoring described by Oakland County.
Family concerns and next steps
Relatives of residents say they were not told about the confirmed case until they started calling local media, and some family members are now worried about how prolonged restrictions will affect older residents who rely on staff for nearly all of their hygiene and daily care. Oakland County officials have set up an Oakland Connects helpline for questions and have outlined remediation steps on their website, including installing filters and flushing water loops. Anyone who develops fever, cough or shortness of breath after recent time at the facility is urged to seek medical attention and to tell their clinician about possible Legionella exposure.
