For the docs, legionnaires disease exposure and my son.

lendaddy · 08-31-2007, 06:40 AM

My wife takes our two sons 1 and 3 to visit a great aunt in the hospital, the youngest gets thirsty and she fills his cup with water from the rooms tap.

Fast forward to the next A.M. and the news breaks that the hospials water is infected with the Legionella bacteria!!!!!!

We have called the Hospital and they said "just wait and see" and that the room he was in is a "low risk" area.

We still have the cup with the water and asked if we could have it tested and they said "wayyyyyy too expensive" and "you should just dump it out". Yea right

Can I get this water tested?

His pediatrician also says to just wait and see and this concerns me. Am I being paranoid? One man has died from exposure there (from inhalation in a shower causing pneumonia).

The incubation period is 2-14 days.

Any advice???

Shaun @ Tru6 · 08-31-2007, 06:44 AM

Keep white flags away from him and he should be fine. Disable reverse on his 4-wheeler is symptoms persist.

livi · 08-31-2007, 08:35 AM

I think you can relax. The risk under these circumstances is minimal. Firstly children has an immune system that very rarely lets the Legionella bacteria into their bodies and if it does they usually have a mild influenza like illness that heals without treatment. Secondly, the transmission is by aerosol, you need to inhale it to be infected. It is still debated whether it is at all possible to be infected by drinking it.

Hope that helps.

lendaddy · 08-31-2007, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by livi

I think you can relax. The risk under these circumstances is minimal. Firstly children has an immune system that very rarely lets the Legionella bacteria into their bodies and if it does they usually have a mild influenza like illness that heals without treatment. Secondly, the transmission is by aerosol, you need to inhale it to be infected. It is still debated whether it is at all possible to be infected by drinking it.

Hope that helps.

Thanks!! You are the man. This will make my wife feel much better.

Are you saying that when people do develop the flu-like symptoms that many believe even that was caused by inhalation as opposed to ingestion? The media here reported that pneumonia = inhalation and Flu = ingestion.

Thanks again!

livi · 08-31-2007, 09:59 AM

Yes. As far as I know, there are no overwhelming evidence that drinking Legionella will lead to any form of symptomatic infection. Probably because the bacteria plunges down in a very nasty pool of gastric acid with a pH too low to survive.

There are always a lot of anecdotal cases but there are no hard evidence.

Note that the Legionella bacteria is a typical opportunist. It will generally only stand a chance if the potential victim has a compromised immune system and that kids as a group very rarely are infected at all.

lendaddy · 08-31-2007, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by livi

Yes. As far as I know, there are no overwhelming evidence that drinking Legionella will lead to any form of symptomatic infection. Probably because the bacteria plunges down in a very nasty pool of gastric acid with a pH too low to survive.

There are always a lot of anecdotal cases but there are no hard evidence.

Note that the Legionella bacteria is a typical opportunist. It will generally only stand a chance if the potential victim has a compromised immune system and that kids as a group very rarely are infected at all.

I send you much good karma

Hugh R · 08-31-2007, 11:08 PM

Legionella exists in things with standing water like refrigerator condensate pans and in cooling towers that are not maintained. Not in drinking water systems like a regularly used faucet. Its also an inhalation hazard, not so much a digestive tract hazard, although I suppose you could inhale a few bacteria while you drank the water, but again, not likely. BTW, I actually know something about this as a Certified Industrial Hygienist.

lendaddy · 09-01-2007, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hugh R

Legionella exists in things with standing water like refrigerator condensate pans and in cooling towers that are not maintained. Not in drinking water systems like a regularly used faucet.

Hugh,

The hospital said the drinking system got infected. The guy that died got it from taking a shower and inhaling the mist. They just announced that they put filters on every single faucet in the hospital and chlorinated the whole system.

Hugh R · 09-01-2007, 01:22 PM

Wow, that's pretty amazing!! I wouldn't have expected that, but if true, certainly possible to die by inhalation.

DeutschMark · 09-01-2007, 06:26 PM

I had my appendix out recently and the nurse told me not to get water from the sink in the room. Hospitals are a great place to contract disease.

lendaddy · 09-02-2007, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hugh R

Wow, that's pretty amazing!! I wouldn't have expected that, but if true, certainly possible to die by inhalation.

Hugh,

Since it's an odd situation and your in the business I thought you might like to read the story:

"GRAND RAPIDS -- The dust flies and the ground rumbles - all part of Saint Mary's Health Care's efforts to expand its ability to heal. But it's underneath of what's being built that may have gotten in the way of that ability.
Legionella bacteria was found in the hospital's water supply. Scott Miller is the only known victim of the contamination at Saint Mary's Lacks Cancer Center. The diagnosis that he was infected with the bacteria was confirmed on July 28. Despite treatment efforts, he died somewhere around 9 p.m. the next evening. Saint Mary's officials were told the next morning about the death.
At that point, they ordered the water ban for certain patients with compromised immune systems at the Lack's Cancer Center.
Independent consultants then tested the water supply and confirmation came August 23 that the supply was infected with the bacteria. That is when a complex-wide ban was put into place, forcing the hospital to use bottled water and give sponge baths to patients.
The ban was lifted Friday afternoon.
"Words cannot express how sorry we are that someone would come to our hospital and contract an infection here," said Dr. David Baumgartner, vice president of medical affairs for Saint Mary's.
On Friday, we got a better idea on how the bacteria may have got into the system. Three major lines and a series of smaller ones carry water to the hospital. But in one of those pipes, hospital officials theorize the Legionella bacteria was lying in wait.
It's not uncommon to find traces of it in waterlines.
But pipes that are shut down for construction, and there are plenty of them leading to and in Saint Mary's, are a perfect environment for the bacteria to grow. When water resumes flowing in the pipes, the bacteria flows with it at higher concentrations.
The bacteria was found in water supplying Lack's Cancer Center, where some patients may lack the immunity to fight a common bacteria.
"I don't believe that there are indications that the public needs to be alarmed about this," Baumgartner told 24 Hour News 8.
While tests show the water is safe, Saint Mary's officials have taken steps to prevent future problems. Water has been heated and chlorine has been added to kill any lingering bacteria.
Plus, filters have been installed on all shower heads and at sinks.
Saint Mary's officials are also working with city officials to identify pipes shut down by construction so they can be flushed out before they return to service.
"We are confident that the water supply is safe right now. In fact, I would say we probably have the cleanest water of any institution or large facility in the city right now," said Dr. Baumgartner."