Flint Water Crisis: A closer look at Legionnaires' Disease

(WJBK) - A new health concern is now linked to the Flint water crisis. Gov. Snyder announced this week that 10 people have died from Legionnaires' Disease in the Flint area. It is still unclear, though, if the contaminated water is the cause but we do know 87 cases of Legionnaires' Disease have been reported since the city switched to the Flint River as a source in 2014.

Normally, around 10 cases a year are reported.

Legionnaires' Disease is an airborne bacterial infection that can cause pneumonia. It is not caused by drinking the water, but rather is contracted from breathing in the mist or vapor of the infected water. That's how the bacteria can get in your lungs, which can lead to pneumonia.

Those who are at risk include older adults, smokers and those with weak immune system. It is possible to recover from the disease.

Taking a closer look at the numbers, 119 cases of Legionnaires' Disease have been reported in Genesee County since 2011. Here's how those numbers break down:

2011: 11 cases
2012: 13 cases
2013: 8 cases
2014: 45 cases
2015: 42 cases

Ten deaths were also reported over the past two years.