Rochester Regional Health has recorded one suspected case of Legionnaires’ disease possibly linked to increased bacteria found in the water system at its St. Mary’s Campus.
An RRH spokesperson said the patient was at St. Mary’s during part of the window in which they could have been infected. Flu-like symptoms appear within two to 10 days of contact with Legionella bacteria. Health officials, however, have not confirmed whether the illness is tied to the medical center outbreak.
Staff discovered elevated levels of Legionella bacteria in the water system at St. Mary’s on July 17. After notifying state health officials, the campus transitioned to bottled water for drinking, bathing and brushing teeth.
Those restrictions will be in place for three months, when the next round of water testing is scheduled, a spokesperson said.
RRH says patients at low risk of Legionnaires’ infection
The St. Mary’s Campus offers broad healthcare services including routine outpatient medical and dental care, dialysis treatment, an urgent care clinic, and a nursing home facility. The center has fewer than 150 short- and long-term patients and residents on site, RRH said.
“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 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.”
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.
— 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: Patient showed suspected Legionnaires’ disease after St. Mary’s stay
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
