3 patients test positive for Legionella at Cincinnati hospital; campus switches to bottled water

CINCINNATI – Staff, patients, and guests were using bottled water at an Ohio hospital after three patients tested positive for the presence of Legionella.

Legionella, found at the Christ Hospital's main campus in Cincinnati, are a bacteria most commonly found in water including groundwater, fresh, and marine surface waters and potable water, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

In a statement Saturday, the Christ Hospital Health Network in Cincinnati said it remains "inconclusive where the patients contracted the bacteria" but consistent with its preparedness policies, the hospital immediately began an increased number of water testing protocols and started an investigation. The hospital said the bottled water measure is being done "out of an abundance of caution."

"We have an extensive water treatment program in place and will continue to adhere to advanced safety protocols and guidelines in coordination with City of Cincinnati Department of Health and the Ohio Department of Health," the statement said. "We continue with normal hospital operations with no interruption to patient care."

Is food poisoning contagious? Here's how it spreads and how to treat it

San Diego beach deaths: 8 dead in 'worst maritime smuggling tragedies' off San Diego beach

Legionnaires' disease

The Legionella bacteria can cause Legionnaires disease, a serious type of pneumonia.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Legionnaires' disease can occur when individuals breathe in small droplets of water or accidentally swallow water "containing Legionella into the lungs."

Health departments across the U.S. report about 10,000 cases of Legionnaires' disease each year, but the disease is believed to be underdiagnosed, according to the CDC.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Patients test positive for Legionella at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati