"“Legionella bacteria occur naturally in water and are spread by inhaling contaminated mist, not through person-to-person contact,” Chaudhary said. “... Our medical center is a safe place to visit and receive care.”"
"“If there's two cases, that is already a cause for real concern,” Gandhi said. “To get up to 18 cases in a hospital system is really quite alarming.”"
"“Sometimes large numbers reflect thorough investigations,” Chin-Hong told SFGATE. “It's hard. I would want to know how sick were these people who were found.”"
"“Legionella bacteria can spread through large plumbing systems and air conditioning infrastructure. The pathogen became widely known after a 1976 outbreak among attendees at an American Legion convention in Philadelphia, which gave rise to the name Legionnaires' disease.”"
A waterborne Legionella infection at Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center has affected 18 people. Most patients are recovering at home. The bacteria was detected through routine internal monitoring, but the contamination source is not yet clear. Legionella occurs naturally in water and spreads when people inhale contaminated mist rather than through person-to-person transmission. The bacteria can spread through large plumbing systems and air conditioning infrastructure. Legionnaires’ disease is a severe pneumonia that can cause cough, fever, shortness of breath, and gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, and can progress to respiratory failure. Infectious disease experts describe the number of cases in a hospital setting as striking and alarming, while noting that case counts may reflect the scope of investigation.
#legionella #hospital-acquired-infection #infectious-disease #public-health-investigation #pneumonia
Read at SFGATE
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