The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are saying that an outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease between February 2011 and November 2012 at the Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System has resulted in the deaths of six veterans, while 16 others had also contracted the disease and become ill.
According to an article in TribLIVE, “alarmingly high levels of Legionella” where found in the Pittsburgh VA’s water system dating as far back as 2007.
Amidst concerns regarding the care and management shortcomings across the VA, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs has called for a nationwide audit of the agency’s access to care.
As this story evolves and more details emerge, it further underscores the seriousness of Legionnaires’ Disease and the need to quickly diagnose patients, rapidly identify the source of the Legionella and disinfect to prevent outbreaks like we are seeing in this instance.
