Dartmouth Police Forced Out Of Station Due To Bacteria

DARTMOUTH (CBS) --- Traces of the bacteria that causes Legionnaires disease is responsible for closing the Dartmouth Police Station.

Police say the health department is investigating and the station remained closed Monday.

Dartmouth Police are using a mobile unit borrowed from Bristol County Sheriff's Office, parked in the parking lot of the station.

Police say they had temporarily routed 911 calls to Westport but as of Sunday afternoon, all calls for service were being handled in the mobile command unit.

A public access television station building next door is also being checked.

According to police, an officer became sick about a month ago and was hospitalized, testing positive for Legionnaires disease, but has since been released. No other employees have gotten sick.

"He's back to work and no one is going to be affected beyond that officer," Detective Kyle Costa told WBZ-TV.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the bacteria is not spread from person to person, but is found naturally in warm water. People get Legionnaire's disease, a type of pneumonia, when they inhale vapor or mist containing the bacteria.

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