The state’s troubled maximum-security psychiatric hospital, Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center in Jessup, has tested positive for Legionella, state health officials confirmed Friday.

It’s the latest state-operated building to identify the bacteria that causes Legionnaire’s disease. It was also recently detected in six other buildings, including two courthouses in Baltimore City and the State Center complex where the state health department itself is housed.

“Legionella has been detected in some systems, and those systems have been treated,” David McCallister, a spokesman for the health department, said about Perkins. “The majority of sites are free of Legionella, but some units and showers had elevated levels, so precautions are being taken.”

The Perkins situation is somewhat different in that it houses patients in addition to being a workplace. The hospital also was recently given a serious warning by the Joint Commission, the main hospital accreditation agency, though state officials did not say if it was related.

The hospital needs the accreditation to legally continue operating.

Dr. Aliya Jones, who took over as Perkins CEO last month, said at the time of the warning on April 4, that the hospital would continue operating as it worked to resolve problems that led to a preliminary denial of accreditation. She also said that “the health and safety of staff and patients is paramount.”

The Joint Commission does not release specific findings, but its website said such a warning is made when there is an immediate threat to health or safety to patients or the public, documents are falsified or issues are not resolved.

The union representing some Perkins’ workers has long complained about the conditions in the facility. Perkins houses people charged with serious offenses who are unfit to stand trial or are awaiting evaluation.

The state recently faced criticism by a judge for its major backlog of people with mental health needs left in jails because there aren’t enough psychiatric hospital beds.

Officials for the union, AFSCME Maryland Council 3, said in a statement Friday that the findings of Legionella were not surprising.

“The health and safety of patients and employees are top priority, and we urge hospital leaders to be transparent and work collaboratively with our union to remediate these issues as soon as possible,” the statement said. “This is yet another reminder that without proactive maintenance and sufficient resources, we will continue to discover more health and safety issues with these buildings that will put workers and the patients and clients we serve at risk.”

The state said Friday that officials are awaiting the results from retesting at Perkins. But no patients or staff had become ill in the areas identified as having Legionella, which is a serious form of pneumonia.

People are exposed when they breathe in vapor or mist from water containing the bacteria. It is particularly harmful to those who are older with underlying health conditions.

The state began proactively testing for Legionella in October in its older buildings’ HVAC systems, where the bacteria can take hold, multiply and become difficult to remove.

The state said Perkins’ water was not being used for drinking or showering but was okay to use for hand washing and in toilets. Patient coolers are being filled with bottled water.