CDC Finds Legionnaires Disease Hide in Plumbing Systems of Hospital, Nursing House

CDC announced an alarming discovery on Tuesday, June 6 regarding the plumbing systems in hospitals and nursing homes. The deadly Legionnaires disease is found hiding in there.

According to a survey of the hospitals in 20 states and one large metropolitan area in the United States, CDC found that deadly Legionnaires disease is lurking in the water systems of buildings, including the healthcare facilities such as hospitals and nursing houses.

The deadly Legionnaires disease is caused by the Legionella bacteria, which grows in the building's water system. This bacteria is living in the fresh water and possible contamination is in the hot water tanks, hot tubs, and cooling towers of large air conditioners. In the health care facilities, one can be infected with this deadly Legionnaires disease by inhaling the aerosols containing the Legionella bacteria from the showerheads, certain medical equipment such as the respiratory equipment, cooling towers, hot tubs, hydrotherapy equipment or decorative fountains

CDC Acting Director, Dr. Anne Schuchat announced the finding on Tuesday, June 6. In general, 10 percent of people who get the deadly Legionnaires disease will die. However, the death rate increase to 25 percent, when the patients get the disease in the health care facilities, as reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer.

"Legionnaires' disease in health care facilities is widespread, deadly and preventable," Dr. Schuchat explained the deadly Legionnaires disease found in healthcare facilities. "Most cases of Legionnaires' disease in health care facilities go unreported because patients who develop pneumonia aren't routinely tested."

In order to prevent the deadly Legionnaires disease in health care facilities, CDC suggest hospitals, nursing houses and other healthcare facilities to develop the effective water management program. This will effectively prevent the Legionella bacteria to grow in the plumbing system.

The deadly Legionnaires disease is one of the healthcare-associated infections (HAI) that occurred in the hospitals. CDC has a serious concern to closely monitor this type of infection in the United States.