Hot-water system blamed for Legionnaires' outbreak at Ohio hospital
7/22/2011

DAYTON, Ohio — Insufficient heating of the hot-water system in Miami Valley Hospital's new 12-story addition was the primary cause of the outbreak of Legionnaires' disease earlier this year, the Dayton Daily News reported.

The outbreak, which sickened 11 patients and may have contributed to the death of one of those patients, occurred in February and March, the article stated.

Prior to the occupancy of the patient tower on Dec. 28, 2010, a construction team made sure the water that supplied showers and faucets was heated to no more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit, as required by the Ohio Plumbing Code.

Hospital officials said they had planned to heat the water to 130 to 140°F, but were told to lower the water temperature to comply with code requirements, which are intended to prevent scalding, according to the story.

"When the codes recommended a certain water temperature, those codes didn't contemplate a vulnerable population," said Jennifer Theibert, the hospital's risk-management director.

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Workers flush hospital's water system with chlorine to kill Legionella
5/04/2011

SPOKANE, Wash. — Workers at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, Wash., flushed the hospital's water system with chlorine to kill Legionella bacteria, which have sickened several patients, according to The Spokesman-Review.

WaterTech e-News Daily™ reported on April 29 that three patients at the hospital had been diagnosed with Legionnaires' Disease, the ailment caused by the Legionella bacterium, since January.

Samples were collected and analyzed, the article stated. According to hospital officials, showering and drinking water restrictions could be lifted by if the test results come back negative for Legionella.

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Legionella found in Miami hospital
3/16/2011

MIAMI, Fla. — Late in February a new addition to the Miami Valley Hospital was found to have clusters of Legionella bacteria in the water, bizjournals.com reported.

After a series of tests it was revealed that the Legionella was located within the hot water system, according to the story.

"Preliminary findings indicate the water flow and water temperature were both factors in allowing the Legionella bacteria to colonize," said Tim Keane, a consultant for Chalfont, Pennsylvania-based Environmental Infection Control Consultants.

In all, 11 patients were diagnosed with some form of Legionella poisoning from late February to early March, the story reported.

While the water appears to be safe now, officials stated that the water supply will continuously be monitored in order to ensure a safe environment for the hospital's patients, the article stated.

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Study: Amoebae in drinking water systems may present health risk
2/24/2011

NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA — Following an international study, researchers are warning that relatively harmless microbes that pass through water treatment systems could be allowing dangerous bacteria, such as Legionella, to reproduce in drinking water supplies, according to a press release.

The researchers found that "free-living amoebae" regularly bypass treatment systems in municipal water supplies worldwide and multiply at end-use points such as taps, showerheads and water tanks, the release stated.

While some species of free-living amoebae can occasionally cause serious illnesses, of greater concern is the fact that amoebae can carry bacteria, such as Legionella and Mycobacterium.

In a review of 26 Australian and international studies, Jacquie Thomas, an environmental engineering Ph.D. student in the University of New South Wales Water Research Center, and Nicholas Ashbolt of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Exposure Research Laboratory found free-living amoebae existed in about 45 percent of post-treatment water samples reported, according to the release.

"These amoebae are found in treated drinking water systems around the world and present an emerging health risk, although it is one that has not yet been quantified," said Thomas.

The paper was published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.

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