Second possible case of Legionnaires' at RGH
By: WROC-TV
Updated: March 3, 2008
Officials at Rochester General Hospital confirmed Monday they are looking into a second suspected case of Legionnaires' disease. Last month, the hospital confirmed a patient contracted the legionella bacteria. Today they said the source of that infection was likely the hospital's own water supply. It's still unclear if this latest case is connected to the RGH water supply.The hospital is taking precautions to kill the organism in the water. When they learned of the initial case, all patients were given bottled water and bathing kits. Now those water restrictions are only being used for the patients who are at high risk of getting the disease.
The initial patient diagnosed with Legionnaires' is at home recovering, the second patient remains hospitalized.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, people contract Legionnaires' disease when they breathe in a mist or vapor that has been contaminated with the bacteria. The bacteria are NOT spread from one person to another.
