The medical center sanitized the water system to remove any risks of infection, reports NBC 7’s Allison Ash.
Rady Children's Hospital San Diego said it discovered a common but potentially dangerous bacteria called Legionella in one of its facilities.
In a statement to NBC 7, a hospital spokesperson said, "A low level of Legionella bacteria was detected in one of the hospital's inpatient units (on Monday, officials said one person had tested positive for the bacteria).
Legionella is a common bacteria found in water that typically poses little risk to healthy individuals."
“People can inhale the bacteria through contaminated water," said Dr. Tom Csanadi, who has practiced pediatric medicine for 30 years.
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He says the bacteria can grow in plumbing and HVAC systems, including restrooms of large buildings like Rady Children’s.
According to the CDC, the most common way for someone to get sick is by breathing in a mist containing the bacteria. It poses little risk to most healthy people but can be most dangerous to vulnerable individuals, including current or former smokers, seniors, or people with specific health issues or conditions, per the agency's website.
“It’s a bacterial infection. The vast majority of people who get exposed to the bacteria do not get sick, but those that do can develop a pneumonia, or a more significant version," said Dr. Csanadi.
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He says symptoms typically happen two to three days after exposure, and they may include fever, cough, shortness of breath, headache, nausea, and body aches. Raising concern among parents like Jovon Price.
“You bring your kid to the hospital, you want it to be a safe environment, you can only do so much with bottled water," Price told NBC 7.
NBC 7 recently got a tip from a viewer, claiming the hospital staff had been washing their hands with water bottles and baby wipes.
The hospital is taking precautionary measures by sanitizing the water system to remove any risks of infection, according to a hospital spokesperson.
They said the disinfection process is expected to be completed Sunday overnight, with the water supply returning to normal by Monday morning.
On Monday afternoon, Rady Children's released the following statement:
"A test frequently given to patients in intensive-care units and other high-risk settings showed a patient testing positive for Legionella. That prompted testing of the water in the patient’s room that showed a low level of contamination. No other patients have tested positive at this time. Rady Children’s regularly tests its water system and monitors the results for any contaminants. Recent tests have all been negative for the bacteria. Following standard protocols, the hospital sanitized the water system to remove any infection risk. Legionella is a common bacteria found in water that typically poses little risk to healthy individuals. The disinfection process was completed overnight, and the water supply returned to normal Monday morning."
