2 patients at Pittsburgh VA test positive for Legionella, 11 Investigates confirms
WPXI • • health
Key Points:
- Two patients at Pittsburgh’s VA Medical Center recently tested positive for Legionella bacteria, the same bacteria responsible for a deadly outbreak at the hospital in 2011-2012 that killed six patients and sickened 22 others.
- Hospital employees anonymously reported concerns about Legionella in the water, prompting the VA to implement water restrictions and begin treating, flushing, and testing water lines as a precaution.
- The Allegheny County Health Department has not been notified of the current cases, and testing positive for Legionella does not necessarily indicate a diagnosis of Legionnaires’ Disease.
- A 2013 VA Inspector General report found serious lapses in water system maintenance and Legionella testing at the Pittsburgh VA following the previous outbreak, leading to recommendations that have since been implemented.
- The Pittsburgh VA Medical Center states that it is currently operating normally and that patient care has not been disrupted despite the new Legionella cases.