Legionella Resources
Environmental health practitioners have essential expertise for responding to and preventing outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease. Explore our resources for practitioners.


Reopening Buildings After Prolonged Shutdown or Reduced Operation – Ensure the safety of your occupants and building water systems and devices.

Toolkit for Controlling Legionella in Common Sources of Exposure – Find concise, actionable information on controlling Legionella in commonly implicated sources of Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks.

Developing a Water Management Program To Reduce Legionella Growth & Spread in Buildings: A Practical Guide To Implementing Industry Standards – Develop and implement a water management program to reduce a building’s risk for growing and spreading Legionella.
Water System Maintenance – Review information on monitoring building water and maintaining recreational water systems for preventing disease.

Legionella Environmental Assessment Form – Use this form to document a facility’s water systems, help determine whether to conduct Legionella environmental sampling, and, if so, develop a sampling plan.

Legionella Environmental Assessment Form Marking Guide – Use this instructional resource to complete the Legionella Environmental Assessment Form, as well as increase awareness of conditions that may promote Legionella growth and spread.

Procedures for Identifying Cooling Towers – Read a stepwise procedure and strategies to locate cooling towers.

Hot Tub Displays and Legionella Risk: Guidance for Environmental and Public Health Practitioners – Learn how to minimize risk for Legionella exposure from hot tub displays at temporary events (for example, fairs, home and garden shows, conventions).

Environmental Investigation Videos – Watch instructional videos that explain Legionella ecology, environmental assessments, and sampling techniques.

Preventing Legionnaires’ Disease: A Training on Legionella Water Management Programs (PreventLD Training) – Learn to create a water management program to reduce risk for Legionnaires’ disease.

CDC Vital Signs Reports
Vital Signs: Health Care–Associated Legionnaires’ Disease Surveillance Data from 20 States and a Large Metropolitan Area — United States, 2015 – Learn about deficiencies in how water in buildings is managed and how comprehensive water management programs could help prevent Legionnaires’ disease and reduce outbreaks.
Vital Signs: Deficiencies in Environmental Control Identified in Outbreaks of Legionnaires’ Disease — North America, 2000–2014 – Learn the importance of effective water management programs in health-care settings.

Water Management Gaps and Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreaks – Read our plain language summary of findings from CDC-led Legionnaires’ disease outbreak investigations.

JEH Articles
Preventing Legionnaires’ Disease: Environmental Health Expertise Is Key pdf icon[PDF – 472 KB] – Explore the role of environmental health professionals in preventing and responding to Legionnaires’ disease.
Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak at a Long-Term Care Facility in Ohio, 2013 pdf icon[PDF – 688 KB] – Learn about an outbreak investigation implicating a cooling tower that used an automated biocide delivery system.
Reducing Legionnaires’ Disease in Public Spas pdf icon[PDF – 117 KB] – Discover how CDC’s Model Aquatic Health Code offers critical guidance for reducing the risk of Legionnaires’ disease in public aquatic facilities.

A Large Community Outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease Associated With a Cooling Tower in New York City, 2015external icon – Read this report about an outbreak in an NYC cooling tower in 2015.

History, Mystery, and Discovery: 40 Years of Legionnaires’ Disease – View this CDC webinar to hear scientists discuss experiences from early investigations, how they solved the 2015 outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in New York City, and more.
Explore more Legionella resources for environmental health professionals.
Turning the Tide: The Role of Water Management to Prevent Legionnaires’ Disease (CDC Public Health Grand Rounds)
Legionella (Legionnaires’ Disease and Pontiac Fever) (CDC’s comprehensive website)
Infographics