The patient was treated for the disease and discharged from the hospital to a rehab center where he died.
The 92-year-old’s case was “very complex” and although he died from chronic aspiration pneumonia, it is not possible to determine if it was linked to Legionnaires’ disease, said Barry-Eaton District Health Medical Director Daniel Woodall.
The hospital tested its water Dec. 12 after the November case was confirmed. The results came back positive for Legionella bacteria.
Another Pennock Hospital patient was treated for Legionnaires’ disease in September, Barry-Eaton District health department officials said in a press release obtained by MLive.com. Health officials discussed steps to eliminate the Legionella bacteria from the hospital’s water system.
The hospital is using alternative water sources and water filtration to protect patients from the bacteria, according to health department leaders.
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