Legionella Found in Hot Water System at Dayton, Ohio Hospital

DAYTON – Tests have found the bacteria that cause Legionnaire’s disease were present in the hot water system at a new part of an Ohio hospital where 11 patients got sick.

According to the Associated Press, fficials at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton say the test results released Monday also show that superheating the water system and treating it with large amounts of chlorine killed the bacteria.

President and chief executive Bobbie Gerhart says in a statement that steps have been taken to make sure the water in the hospital’s new 12-story addition is safe for drinking, bathing and washing.
The hospital’s 11 cases of Legionnaire’s include a 73-year-old man who died Feb. 22, though the Dayton Daily News reports the death certificate does not specifically mention Legionnaires’ disease.