ROCHESTER, NY — A hepatitis patient suspected of contracting Legionnaires' disease from a hospital's water system has died and two other patients in the hospital have been diagnosed with the disease, according to a Feb. 21 Associated Press report appearing in Newsday.
The 750-bed Strong Memorial Hospital at the University of Rochester Medical Center shifted patients to bottled water for consumption and oral care after discovering Legionella in its water system during routine tests this month, as reported earlier on Water Tech Online®.
Legionnaires' disease is especially serious for immune-compromised patients, such as those with hepatitis, older patients or those with serious diseases, the AP said.
Legionnaires' contributed to the hepatitis patient's death on Feb. 19, and the hospital determined that two other patients, both with cancer, have contracted the disease, the report said.
The hospital hyperchlorinated its water system as a control measure, and a physician spokesman said there is no reason to believe the disease has spread further, the report said.
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