Patients at Rochester Regional Health’s St. Mary’s Campus are relying on bottled water after staff discovered elevated levels of Legionella bacteria in the medical center’s water system.
An RRH spokesperson said the bacteria was flagged the evening of July 17. After notifying state health officials, the campus transitioned to bottled water for drinking and brushing teeth out of precaution. The medical center will also provide alternative bathing options for affected patients and residents.
Legionella is a type of bacteria that grows in water. People can contract Legionnaires’ disease, a serious form of pneumonia, when they breathe in mist that contains the bacteria. It is generally not spread through drinking water, though people can get sick if they aspirate on water containing Legionella.
“At this time, there is no disruption to patient care or operations, and we believe the risk to patients, residents, visitors and team members remains low,” the RRH spokesperson said in a statement. “These actions are being taken out of an abundance of caution while we continue remediation efforts and work closely with health officials to monitor the situation.”
— Kayla Canne covers community safety for the Democrat and Chronicle with a focus on immigration, police accountability, government surveillance and how people are impacted by violence. Follow her on Instagram @bykaylacanne. Get in touch at kcanne@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Legionella detected in water system at Rochester Regional’s St. Mary’s
Reporting by Kayla Canne, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Kayla Canne, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | USA TODAY Network
