Researchers connect declining atmospheric sulfur dioxide levels to rise in Legionnaires' disease

Declining atmospheric sulfur dioxide levels might be related to the global rise in Legionnaires' disease—a severe form of pneumonia caused by inhaling the pathogenic bacteria Legionella. So reports a new University at Albany study, published today in the journal PNAS Nexus, which examined trends in atmospheric sulfur dioxide, Legionnaires' disease incidence, and the role of cooling towers in harboring Legionella.