Annual Legionella Conference Rescheduled to January 2021

Legionella Conference: Prevention of Disease and Injury From Waterborne Pathogens in Health Care originally scheduled for Aug. 19-21 will be rescheduled to Jan. 20-22, 2021.

The conference will be held at the same location, Sheraton Grand Hotel on Chicago, Illinois’ downtown river walk.

Co-hosts NSF Health Sciences and the National Environmental Health Association are rescheduling the conference because of public health and safety concerns due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Legionella Conference will bring together public health leaders, policy makers, regulators, researchers, infection prevention practitioners and water management systems experts to discuss preventing deadly waterborne disease outbreaks in hospitals and healthcare settings.

NSF is a global public health organization experienced in supporting businesses to develop, implement and maintain COVID-19 best practices. LC2021 will be organized following these practices as well as those issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and event planning organizations.

Legionella has been in the news recently as a potential unintended consequence of shuttered buildings of all sizes and purposes during the pandemic quarantine. The bacteria, which can cause the sometimes-fatal Legionnaires’ disease, can amplify in the biofilm of water systems with no- or low-flow, tepid temperatures or a depleted disinfectant residual.

NSF and NEHA experts have responded through public outreach and thought leadership, outlined risk management actions to slow and prevent the spread of legionella in water systems and compiled information and resources for environmental health professionals.

Preconference workshops will be held Jan. 18-19 at the Sheraton Grand Hotel.

Proposals continue to be accepted for expert speaker and poster presentations for the new conference dates.

For more info, visit www.legionellaconference.org or email info@legionellaconference.org.