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Ten people have died from Legionnaires' disease in the town of Flint, Michigan—the same town that recently called a state of emergency after toxins were found in its water supply and believed to be poisoning citizens.
It has not yet been confirmed whether the contaminated water, which was found to contain large quantities of lead, caused the new outbreak of the illness in local residents.
At least 87 cases of the Legionnaires' disease—a form of atypical pneumonia caused by inhaling mist infected with the Legionella bacteria—were found in Genesee Country, which includes Flint, between June 2014 and November 2015. At least ten people have already died from the illness.
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Flint changed its water source in 2014 from Detroit's water system to the Flint River in order to save money, at which time “the harmful effects of untreated water struck the city’s water infrastructure,” said Governor Rick Snyder.
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Great video by local students explaining Flint MI's insane water crisis, #environmentalracism at its most toxic https://t.co/oDE9mKOyiF
— Bill McKibben (@billmckibben)
January 10, 2016
According to Nick Lyon, director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, about half the cases of Legionnaires' disease were connected to Flint water and half were not.
Last week, the state of Michigan called a state of emergency in the town of Flint after the toxic drinking water was found to be affecting the population, including causing elevated levels of lead in children.
The move followed a similar one by Flint Mayor Karen Weaver, who declared a state of emergency in December and called the issue a “man made disaster.”
Michigan National Guard troops arrived in the town Wednesday, after being called in by Governor Snyder, and help distribute water and other supplies to residents. The state has also requested the support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The Michigan government has been criticized for taking too long to respond to the water emergency, particularly after it was revealed that the state knew about the risk of contaminated water as early as July of 2014.
Flint water protesters rallying in Michigan Capitol. "Hey hey, ho ho, Governor Snyder's got to go." pic.twitter.com/bAdV89KHBF
— Jonathan Oosting (@jonathanoosting)
January 14, 2016
Both Michigan and the town of Flint are facing a class action lawsuit, which was filed Thursday by three local residents—Doris Collins, Robin Pleasant and Jason Phinisee—who claim to have suffered injuries from the contaminated water. They added that residents continue to billed for the water service.
#Flint water protesters: Snyder should resign, face charges https://t.co/byVcbZ73Fy pic.twitter.com/Wq2gISaVcI
— Occupy Wall Street (@OccupyWallStNYC)
January 9, 2016
