One person is dead and patients of Spectrum Health Pennock Hospital in Hastings with flu like symptoms are being told to get tested for Legionnaires’ disease.
The Barry-Eaton District Health Department confirmed Thursday that the Legionella bacteria has been detected in the water supply of the Spectrum Health Pennock Hospital in Hastings, according to WWMT.
The testing is part of a national protocol that was triggered following a second patient being diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease.
Despite tests showing that Legionella bacteria was present in the hospital’s water system, there has been no confirmed reports of the the disease being contracted from Spectrum Health Pennock Hospital in Hastings.
It can be treated with antibiotics, but one out of 10 people die from the disease.
Symptoms include: cough shortness of breath muscle aches headache fever The first Legionnaires’ disease diagnosis came in September with the second patient being diagnosed in November.
Testing for the hospital’s water took place on December 18, 2018.
The patient that died was elderly with other possible complications.
The second patient was treated and released.
At this time a spokesperson from Spectrum Health Pennock Hospital says that the hospital is working with local and state health departments, making plans to install a new water filtration system and testing patients at the hospital for Legionnaires’ disease.