Newsmaker: Janet E. Stout

By Debra Erdley, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW

PITTSBURGH, April 13—Noteworthy: Will receive the Clarion University Alumni Association's Distinguished Achievement Award Saturday evening at the group's annual Extravaganza at the Duquesne Club.

Age: 55

Residence: Verona

Family: Single

Occupation: Microbiologist

Background: Stout discovered the link between the presence of Legionella bacteria in hospital water systems and the occurrence of hospital-acquired Legionnaire's Disease. She is known for developing a proactive approach toward the prevention and control of Legionella. She worked with Dr. Bruce Dixon and the Allegheny County Health Department to develop Legionella guidelines for the county, now used as a model for the United States. She is the founder and director of the Special Pathogens Laboratory and an associate research professor at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering.

Education: Bachelor of Science, biology, 1979, Clarion University of Pennsylvania; master of science, infectious disease and microbiology, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, 1981; doctorate, infectious disease microbiology, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, 1992.

Quote: "I had some wonderful professors at Clarion in microbiology. It was because of them that spark of interest in microbiology started."

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Special Pathogens Laboratory
Special Pathogens Laboratory® (SPL^®), The Legionella Experts^®, is the national leading analytical microbiology laboratory offering the healthcare industry, water treatment industry, and commercial and industrial sectors reliable, high-quality microbiology services. SPL^®, an accredited laboratory and ELITE certified by CDC for expertise in Legionella testing, specializes in the detection, control, and disinfection of Legionella, and other microorganisms responsible for serious infections, including thousands of hospital-acquired infections annually.