Source: http://www.syracuse.com, December 6, 2015
By: James T. Mulder
A small amount of bacteria that can cause Legionnaire’s disease has been found in water in cooling towers at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center.
The hospital received the test results Nov. 24, but did not announce them until late today.
St. Joe’s said there is no indication its cooling towers have sickened anyone in the hospital or surrounding community. After Legionella bacteria was identified during routine testing, the hospital said it disinfected the cooling towers following state Health Department guidelines.
St. Joe’s previously detected Legionella bacteria in its drinking water after three patients were diagnosed with Legionnaire’s, a severe form of pneumonia, in September and October. Two of the three caught it in the hospital and it is unclear if the third patient got Legionnaire’s in the hospital or the community.
The hospital said no additional cases have been reported at the hospital in more than six weeks.
After Legionella was detected in the hospital’s drinking water, St. Joe’s imposed water restrictions, installed filters on faucets in patient rooms, hired outside experts and did additional water testing.
When asked why St. Joe’s waited more than a week to announce the cooling tower test results, hospital spokeswoman Betsy Bedigian said there is no clear guidance on public disclosure of test results within normal ranges. ” … however, due to internal concerns we decided to share our findings,” Bedigian said in an email.
Cooling towers are separate from the hospital’s drinking water supply. The towers provide water for air conditioning systems.
St. Joe’s said Legionella bacteria is found in 30 to 50 percent of cooling towers that serve buildings.
Upstate Medical University in August decontaminated three of its cooling towers after Legionella bacteria was detected in them.
An outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in the South Bronx during the summer killed 12 people and sickened more than 120 people. The outbreak was linked to a hotel cooling tower.
There was a Legionnaire’s outbreak on Onondaga Hill in 2008 that sickened 13 people, one of whom died. The outbreak was linked to a cooling tower at Community Hospital.