Legionnaires’ Disease Warning from New Jersey Hospital
A hospital in New Jersey is alerting hundreds of patients to monitor for symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease following a patient’s death that led to the discovery of Legionella bacteria in its water system.
The patient, whose name hasn’t been disclosed, was treated at St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in Paterson during July for various health issues. The individual also tested positive for Legionella, a bacterium associated with severe pneumonia, as stated by St. Joseph’s Health, the hospital’s managing organization.
Dr. Joseph Duffy, the chief medical officer at St. Joseph’s, shared that they are closely collaborating with state and local health officials after the patient was found to have tested positive for the bacteria.
“Sadly, given the complexity of this patient’s situation, they did not survive,” Duffy added.
It’s worth noting that Legionnaires’ disease isn’t spread through casual contact like the flu or COVID-19. Typically, it spreads through water or mist containing Legionella bacteria.
The patient’s death prompted a state Department of Health inspection of the hospital’s water system. On November 18, testing indicated the presence of Legionella in one specific area of the facility.
However, hospital officials have not disclosed which section of the hospital was affected.
After receiving notification of the test results on December 8, the hospital began cleaning and treating its water system.
They are also in the process of informing 228 former patients treated in that specific area between November 27 and December 8 about possible infection risks.
Despite the concerns, hospital officials said the risk of contracting the disease from the water supply is low.
As stated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Legionnaires’ disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, with symptoms that might include fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle aches, and headaches.
Symptoms generally appear within 14 days of exposure, although it can take longer sometimes. Most healthy individuals exposed to Legionella won’t develop sickness, but certain groups, like those over 50, smokers, and people with weakened immune systems, are at an elevated risk.
In New Jersey, approximately 250 to 350 cases of Legionnaires’ disease are reported each year, according to the state Department of Health. Last year, there were 224 diagnosed cases in the state.
