Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego has disinfected its water system after a patient in the ICU tested positive for Legionnaires’ disease.
In a statement shared with CBS affiliate KFMB-TV, the hospital said a patient tested positive after routine testing in the ICU and other high-risk settings.
“That prompted testing of the water in the patient’s room that showed a low level of contamination,” Rady Children’s said in the statement. “No other patients have tested positive at this time.”
The facility sanitized its water system overnight March 30, with water supply levels returning to normal the following morning. The hospital said it routinely tests its water system to monitor for contaminants.
“Recent tests have all been negative for the bacteria,” Rady Children’s said in its statement. “Legionella is a common bacteria found in water that typically poses little risk to healthy individuals.”
While most people exposed to the bacteria do not get sick, older adults and those with compromised immune systems are at increased risk of developing Legionnaires’ disease, a severe type of pneumonia, according to the CDC. About 1 in 10 people who develop the disease die due to complications.
