BALTIMORE -- A positive case of legionnaires' disease has been found at the Dorsey Run Correctional Facility in Jessup, the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services said Sunday.

According to the DPSCS, an inmate at the facility was experiencing shortness of breath, and a persistent cough earlier this week. He was taken to a local hospital, where he tested positive for legionnaires' disease. The inmate is still hospitalized, and his condition is improving, DPSCS said.

"The safety and well-being of our staff and those in our care remain our highest priority. Medical staff, following recommendations from the Anne Arundel County Health Department, have been closely monitoring the situation," DPSCS said in a social media post. "Following recommendations from the Maryland Department of Health, protective measures for all staff and incarcerated individuals in the same housing areas as the hospitalized patient have been put in place."

Legionnaires' disease is a mild flu-like illness, caused by the legionella bacteria, according to the CDC. Legionella spreads mainly through small droplets of water or mist containing the bacteria.

The disease rarely spreads from person to person, according to the CDC.

While most healthy people exposed to legionella do not get sick, those who do can experience cough, fever, headache, muscle aches, and shortness of breath.

In December 2024, elevated levels of legionella bacteria were detected in the water at three Baltimore City courthouses after water quality tests.

The mayor's office recommended the buildings be temporarily closed out of caution while flushing and chlorination treatments were conducted. The buildings later reopened.

The Baltimore City Health Department did not receive any reports of confirmed cases of Legionnaires disease, according to the mayor's office.