CDC: Hospital Patients May Have Been Exposed To Legionnaire's
CDC Working With Local Health Officials To Pinpoint Source
POSTED: Tuesday, June 13, 2006
UPDATED: 10:02 am CDT June 13,
2006
SAN ANTONIO -- Officials with Baptist Health Systems said Monday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed that patients at North Central Baptist Hospital may have been exposed to Legionnaire's Disease.
The CDC said nine Baptist Health Systems patients have been diagnosed with Legionnaire's in San Antonio, and some of them may have been exposed at North Central Baptist.
Hospital officials said there have been no new cases of the disease reported in more than a week.
The CDC and the Metropolitan Health District are trying to pinpoint the source of the disease.
Officials with Baptist Health System said they are aggressively monitoring patients in all local hospitals and working with the CDC to prevent any more occurrences of the disease.
Legionnaire's disease is a severe type of pneumonia.
It is usually found in damp, humid environments.
Health officials said it primarily affects elderly people with weak immune systems.
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