Public health officials continue to investigate the cause of a case of Legionnaires’ disease found last week in a patient at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham.
A statement from the hospital said it is working with state and local health departments and continues to take all necessary steps to protect patients, visitors and staff.
“Legionella is a rare cause of infection in patients,” said the statement from BID Chief Infection Prevention Officer Dr. Sharon Wright. “Most people who are exposed to legionella do not develop infection from it.”
Legionnaires’ disease is a form of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria. It was named for an outbreak at an American Legion convention in 1976 that was blamed for 29 deaths. The bacteria is commonly found in water and is not transmitted person -to -person.
Epidemiologist Julie McCarthy with the Needham Division of Public Health said this case is isolated to the hospital’s water and infrastructure and residents should not be concerned. “The town water supply is totally safe, there are no questions about that,” she said. “People don’t need to take any special precautions.”
McCarthy said the bacteria is naturally found in the environment, and water systems can be vulnerable because it can grow in certain conditions and is transmitted in droplets of water. She said the hospital began immediate mitigation efforts.
Information provided by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, which is leading the investigation, said isolated cases are not unusual and are not a cause for public health concern. “DPH and local health departments routinely investigate reported cases of Legionnaires’ disease in the Commonwealth,” it said.
Save as PDF