Legionella found in Kettering City Schools’ stadium field house

WHIO Staff
·2 min read

Kettering City Schools says Legionella was found in the water at the district’s Roush Stadium.

The district received test results on Saturday, June 17 of all water sources in the Field House at Roush Stadium. The water tested positive for Legionella, according to a letter sent to families of football players obtained by News Center 7.

“We chose Legionella PCR analysis to get a rapid result but it only validates the presence of Legionella, not the species or CFU count. The lab is currently culturing the sample and we should know both of those in 7-10 days,” Superintendent Mindy McCarty-Stewart said in the letter.

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The Field House was shut down on June 13 after the district was made aware of a concern about the water and the health of student-athletes.

Several student-athletes have reported becoming ill.

“We want to make sure that all students, regardless of symptoms, are making a full recovery. We greatly appreciate the open lines of communication. The health and well-being of our students and staff is a priority for our district,” McCarty-Stewart said in the letter.

According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, the bacteria can cause Legionnaires’ disease, a serious type of pneumonia. Symptoms include:

  • Fever

  • Chills

  • Cough

  • Muscle Aches

  • Headache

  • Tiredness

  • Loss of Appetite

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“If your child is exhibiting any of these symptoms or if you have concerns please contact your medical provider for more information. We encourage you to let your medical provider know that there was a positive detection of Legionella in our Field House,” McCarty-Stewart stated in the letter.

No cases of Legionnaires’ disease have been confirmed at this time.

The Field House will remain closed until further notice and the district is working with a certified group to “take all necessary action to ensure that” it is safe to be in.

In 2019, the former head custodian at Fairmont High School, Keith “Casey” Chaffin, died in part from Legionnaires’ disease, News Center 7 previously reported. His family told us he had worked for the district for 20 years when he became ill with the disease.

News Center 7 has reached out to the district for additional information and are awaiting a response.