June 27, 2019—Ford Motor on Wednesday said low levels of the bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease had been detected at its plant in Dearborn, Mich., reported CBS News. The bacteria can cause an infection known as Legionnaires' disease, or Pontiac fever, a severe form of pneumonia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The disease isn't spread from person to person, but through mist, such as from air-conditioning units, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Ford stressed there's no health risk to employees at the Michigan factory.
The company regularly tests for legionella, and its water-quality management includes "steps to take if legionella bacteria are found," a Ford spokesperson emailed to CBS. "We immediately disinfected the equipment where the bacteria were found. The level of Legionella detected in our recent sampling is very low and does not present a health risk to our workforce. We are not aware of any employees that have contracted the bacteria," the statement said.
The auto manufacturer employs about 4,400 people at the Rouge complex, where the F-150 and F-150 Raptor pickup trucks are built. Of those workers, about 4,200 are hourly employees.
