SEATTLE – A fourth patient at University of Washington Medical Center has been diagnosed with Legionella, also known as Legionnaire’s Disease.
UW Medicine and the King County Health Department say the patient was hospitalized in the Cascade Tower. That’s the same place tests have shown the bacteria exists in an ice machine, a sink, and three pieces of operating room equipment which did not make contact with patients.
The patient, a man in his 40s, had an underlying medical condition that made him more at risk for contracting the disease. He was there before new precautions were put in place to protect patients from the bacteria. He is in satisfactory condition.
Two of the four patients diagnosed with Legionella have died, but it’s not clear if the cause of death for one of them was from the bacteria.
UW says it will begin chemically treating the water in the Cascade Tower early next week until the Legionella is eliminated.
UW Medicine plans to contact specific high-risk patients who were hospitalized between August 24 and Sept. 13 in the Cascade Tower to educate them about signs and symptoms of Legionella. UW has also activated a Legionella information line: 855-520-2252.
