Pittsburgh Plumber, Mr Rooter Says Legionella Deaths at VA Hospital Could Have Been Prevented

Pittsburgh, PA (PRWEB) December 14, 2012

Mr Rooter Tip of The Day: Designing, installing, operating, and maintaining plumbing systems to minimize Legionella bacteria is key to reducing risk of disease.

Based on currently available knowledge and technology, minimizing Legionella bacteria in water systems is the primary means of prevention, says Bob Beall, licensed master plumber and owner of Mr Rooter Plumbing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. According to data collected by Nelli Black and Drew Griffin, CNN, twenty-nine patients at the Veterans Administration hospital in Pittsburgh have been diagnosed with Legionnaires disease since December 2011.

It is not surprising that plumbing systems are implicated in a significant number of Legionnaires outbreaks they provide a good habitat for Legionella, warns Beall. Designing, installing, operating, and maintaining plumbing systems to minimize Legionella bacteria is key to reducing risk of disease.

In the United States, Legionaires disease is a reportable disease by law to the local public health department and the CDC. Most health departments will not do a follow-up unless many patients contract the illness, according to Victor L. Yu, MD, Professor of Medicine, Unviersity of Pittsburgh; Chief, Infectious Disease Section, VA Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. According to CNN, the facility became aware of the deadly situation approximately one year ago and failed to report the airborne pathogen until early November 2012.

According to the mission statement provided by HC Information Resources Inc., Matt Freije, founder and president, provides information and consulting services to protect health and life by reducing the risk of Legionella and other waterborne pathogens. In agreement with Beall, a trusted Pittsburgh plumber, it is morally and ethically necessary when many of these deaths could be prevented because, unlike most pneumonias, the source (e.g., a hot-water system) of Legionnaires cases can be identified. But if Legionella is not recognized as the cause, no investigation ensues to pinpoint and disinfect the source, so the same source remains a threat. Anderson Cooper, CNN, reported Wednesday night that Tory Schira, of LiquiTech Environmental Solutions referred to the outbreak as inexplicable, stating that the hospital knew it had a problem, was warned about it and did not fix it.

Legionnaires disease acquired its name in July 1976 when an outbreak of pneumonia occurred among people attending a convention of the American Legion at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia. On January 18, 1977 the causative agent was identified as a previously unknown strain of bacteria, subsequently named Legionella. Some people can be infected with the Legionella bacteria and have only mild symptoms or no illness at all. It has been reported that a VA spokesman David Cowgill would not agree to an interview. Instead, he released media advisories, one of which concluded: VA is committed to providing safe facilities and quality care for veterans.

Mr Rooter Plumbing Pittsburgh, according to Beall, understands and implements Legionella-preventive designs and specifications, not only for the moral obligation to protect health and life, but to reduce legal risk. If you design a plumbing system for a building that is implicated in a case of Legionnaires disease, you may be sued by the person who got sick, or by his or her family if the case is fatal, says Beall.

Legionellae can grow in a home plumbing system although most cases have been traced to large buildings. The plumbing system (via showers and faucets), whirlpool spas and bathtubs, and humidifiers present a potential risk of legionellae exposure in homes. These units are impossible to clean as they have internal piping that are prone to biofilm production, according to Beall. The preventable disease is contracted by inhaling airborne water droplets containing legionellae.

Commercial and home units alike need to be cleaned with Sodium Hypochlorite (bleach) at a pH of 5-6 so as to maximize the oxidation process. This cleaning process is beyond the capability of a homeowner, janitor, general plumber or the appliance vendor because poisonous chlorine fumes will be generated. Some debate offers that the homeowner can filter the water before it comes into the house and possibly turn the temperature up on the hot water tank, (which could lead to a void in the warranty if setting the thermostat beyond 120