Barry Eaton District Health Department confirmed the finding in a Dec. 27 press release.
Spectrum Health Pennock Hospital filed its first report of a patient diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease to the health department in September 2018.
A second report of a patient with Legionnaires’ was reported by the hospital in November 2018.
But patients and out-patients were told about the discovery, Ditmar said, and all the safety measures in place and remediation efforts in progress, “so our patients could make informed decisions on whether they were confident in continuing to receive services here – or if they preferred to go somewhere else.” City of Hastings officials said recent test results indicate there is no presence of legionella or any contaminants in the city’s drinking water; and there is no reason to believe the bacteria originated from, or is present in, the city’s public drinking water supply.
City officials said Hastings’ drinking water system is isolated from the hospital system by devices that allow the water to travel one-way only – into the facility.
Monochloramine, a disinfectant commonly used for drinking water, is being introduced into the hospital’s water supply through the filter.
According to Spectrum Health officials, water samples are being taken daily from several areas of the hospital to maintain an adequate concentration of the disinfectant to eradicate legionella.
We talk about what legionella is, and I let them know all of the steps the hospital has taken for patient safety.
According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the state is experiencing increases in cases of Legionnaires’ disease.
There were no reported cases of Legionnaires’ disease from Barry County until this past fall.