Legionella Outbreaks in University Hospital

The University Hospital did not put the right protocols in place after the first outbreak in 1977. The hospital focused merely on the treatment of the cases of legionella and neglected the circumstances that led to the disease outbreak. After the epidemiological studies revealed the cooling towers as the main cause of the outbreak, the University Hospital did not conduct further studies to confirm the relationship between the disease outbreak and the cooling tower’s fine mist that was key in spreading the Legionella virus through aerosol means (Osawa et al, 2014) . The management of the hospital only initiated the chlorination of water at the cooling tower after the second outbreak in 1982 and failed to sustain the chlorination system despite sufficient evidence showing a high risk for Legionella’s disease outbreak. This negligence led to a fourth outbreak that the hospital kept from the general population, a factor which has the potential to worsen the spread of the disease due to lack of awareness. 

The University hospital should first conduct a study to establish the relationship between the disease and the cooling tower. This will be important in preventing future outbreaks of the same disease because awareness of the problem will encourage the staff members to focus on prevention rather than treatment (Osawa et al, 2014) . After realizing that chlorination of water in the cooling tower reduces the rate of occurrence of legionella, the hospital to ensure that the chlorination of the water is sustained. The hospital should create and implement policies that ensure all patients will presumptive symptoms of Legionella are given attention to ensure early interventions. Early interventions will increase the patient’s chance of recuperating from the disease (Osawa et al, 2014) . It is also important for the University hospital to provide education about legionella to its staff and the community in its environment. Creating awareness will promote vigilanc e from members of the community, and this will help prevent a new outbreak. 

Reference

Osawa, K., Shigemura, K., Abe, Y., Jikimoto, T., Yoshida, H., Fujisawa, M., & Arakawa, S. (2014). A case of nosocomial Legionella pneumonia associated with a contaminated hospital cooling tower.  Journal of infection and chemotherapy ,  20 (1), 68-70.