West Texas VA still addressing Legionella problem in water supply

CBS recently spoke with VA officials to follow-up on the Legionella bacteria situation.

West Texas VA found Legionella in their water system in September 2013 and underwent remediation to disinfect the system.  Subsequent tests over the last few months still showed a presence of the bacteria.  The hospital has since treated the water system by super heating the water and chlorinating four different times.

According to officials at the West Texas VA, the Department of Veterans Affairs requires that hospitals test their water once a year, but that they intend to test more often than the VA requirement.

To read more about treatment the various treatment methods that are available, please visit The Journal of Legionella and the Law.

Legionnaire’s limits water use at IU Health hospitals

Shari Rudavsky at the Indianapolis Star, a news source in Indianapolis, Indiana, reached out us recently to discuss Legionnaires' disease.  Please see below for the article.

Legionnaires' limits water use at IU Health hospitals

Patients at IU Health’s University Hospital and Simon Cancer Center have been told to drink bottled water and not bathe or shower with tap water after two patients at the Downtown hospital tested positive for Legionnaire’s disease.

The restrictions came after additional samples of water tested positive for Legionella bacteria, the germ that causes the potentially deadly illness.

IU Health officials went room to room late Thursday explaining the decision to limit water consumption for patients, many of whom have compromised immune systems and are susceptible to the disease.

“We felt that it was a precautionary move that we should make,” said Dr. Douglas Webb, medical director for infection control of Indiana University Health.

IU Health continues to investigate how water at University Hospital became infected. Legionella bacteria resides in water and is often contracted through aerosol spray, such as a shower, air conditioner or fountain.

The restrictions will stay in place until tests “verify that the water has been adequately treated and is safe to use,” Webb said.

Earlier this week, IU Health officials announced that two patients, both with compromised immune systems, had tested positive within the past month for Legionnaire’s disease and had died. Webb declined to give specific dates for the deaths.

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Two patients with Legionnaires’ disease die at IU Health University Hospital

The IU (Indiana University) Health University Hospital announced yesterday, February 4 that two of its patients diagnosed with Legionnaires ’ disease had died.

According to the medical director of infection control for Indiana University Health, Dr. Douglas Webb, one patient’s death was linked to Legionnaires’ disease, a pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria; the other patient who died also had Legionella pneumonia, but it is unclear whether or not this illness was a major contributing factor to the death.

Indiana University Health tested its water system after the second diagnosis of Legionnaires’ disease and found Legionella bacteria.  The hospital tests its water regularly, but Webb said this is the first instance he’s known the hospital to test positive for Legionella.  IU Health workers treated the hospital’s water over the weekend and subsequent tests results showed that the attempts were successful in eradicating the bacteria from the system.