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IN hospital cleans water system after discovery of Legionella bacteria

Infection Control Monitor, July 30, 2004

Officials at a South Bend, IN, hospital superheated the facility's water supply and flushed the system after discovering the bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease in the water system, the Associated Press reports.

Since officials at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center found the bacteria in sections of the system that supply water for sinks and showers, they believed the risk of disease is low. They did not find the bacteria in the hospital's heating and cooling systems or in the drinking water, scenarios that would have made the risk of disease higher.

Officials believe a water pressure problem in one of the hospital buildings was probably responsible for the presence of the bacteria. Three of the hospital's 12 sections contained the bacteria. Patients particularly susceptible to illness were not located in those areas.

Outbreaks of the disease have occurred after people breathed mists from a contaminated water source such as a cooling tower or shower, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The disease is not spread from person to person.

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