Hostname: page-component-77f85d65b8-8v9h9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-04-15T04:28:56.099Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Legionella on tap: nosocomial pneumonia cluster linked to a hospital cold water dispenser in hematology patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 October 2025

Oren Biham Open the ORCID record for Oren Biham [Opens in a new window] ,
Hovav Azulay ,
Ronit Nativ ,
Vered Ischa Abar ,
Abraham Borer ,
Lior Nesher Open the ORCID record for Lior Nesher [Opens in a new window]  and
Galia Karp
Oren Biham
Affiliation:
Division of Internal Medicine, Soroka University Medical Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel
Hovav Azulay
Affiliation:
Division of Internal Medicine, Soroka University Medical Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel Infectious Diseases Institute, Soroka University Medical Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel
Ronit Nativ
Affiliation:
Infectious Diseases Institute, Soroka University Medical Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel
Vered Ischa Abar
Affiliation:
Infectious Diseases Institute, Soroka University Medical Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel
Abraham Borer
Affiliation:
Infectious Diseases Institute, Soroka University Medical Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel
Lior Nesher*
Affiliation:
Infectious Diseases Institute, Soroka University Medical Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel
Galia Karp
Affiliation:
Hospital Administration, Soroka University Medical Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel
*
Corresponding author: Lior Nesher; Email: nesherke@bgu.ac.il
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

We describe an outbreak of hospital-acquired Legionella pneumonia in a hematology ward; a cold drinking water dispenser was identified as the source. Regular surveillance and provision of appropriate water quality to high-risk patients are critical, and hospitals should be aware of the risks associated with the use of these devices.

Information

Type
Concise Communication
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 47 , Issue 1 , January 2026 , pp. 98 - 100
Check for updates
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

Footnotes

*

Both authors contributed equally.

References

Diederen, BMW. Legionella spp. and Legionnaires’ disease. J Infect 2008;56:1–12.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blatt, SP, Parkinson, MD, Pace, E, et al. Nosocomial legionnaires’ disease: Aspiration as a primary mode of disease acquisition. Am J Med 1993;95:16–22.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yao, XH, Shen, F, Hao, J, Huang, L, Keng, B. A review of Legionella transmission risk in built environments: sources, regulations, sampling, and detection. Front Public Health [Internet]. 2024;12. Available from: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1415157 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mohamed, H, Zielinski, L, Diedhiou, A, et al. Cluster of Legionellosis cases associated with manufacturing process, South Carolina, USA, 2022. Emerg Infect Dis J 2025;31:41.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wu, J, Cao, M, Tong, D, Finkelstein, Z, Hoek, EMV. A critical review of point-of-use drinking water treatment in the United States. Npj Clean Water 2021;4:40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martin, RL, Harrison, K, Proctor, CR, et al. Chlorine disinfection of Legionella spp., L. pneumophila, and Acanthamoeba under warm water premise plumbing conditions. Microorganisms 2020;8:1452. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms8091452 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Department of Environmental Health, Ministry of Health. Guidelines for preventing the cultivation of Legionella and other microorganisms in water systems [Internet]. Israel: Ministry of Health; 2025. Available from: www.health.gov.il.Google Scholar
Ashbolt, NJ. Environmental (Saprozoic) Pathogens of Engineered Water Systems: Understanding Their Ecology for Risk Assessment and Management. Pathogens 2015;4:390–405.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bencini, MA, Yzerman, EPF, Koornstra, RHT, Nolte, CCM, den Boer, JW, Bruin, JP. A case of Legionnaires’ disease caused by aspiration of ice water. Arch Environ Occup Health 2005;60:302–306.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ministry of Health. Water Sampling Guidelines [Internet]. Israel: Ministry of Health; 2016. Available from: www.health.gov.il.Google Scholar