title: Water Safety and Legionella in Health Care: Priorities, Policy, and Practice.
abstract: Health care facility water distribution systems have been implicated in the transmission of pathogens such as Legionella and nontuberculous mycobacteria to building occupants. These pathogens are natural inhabitants of water at low numbers and can amplify in premise plumbing water, especially if conditions are conducive to their growth. Because patients and residents in health care facilities are often at heightened risk for opportunistic infections, a multidisciplinary proactive approach to water safety is important to balance the various water priorities in health care and prevent water-associated infections in building occupants.
authors: National Infectious Diseases Service, Specialty Care Services, Patient Care Services, Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 3230 Eden Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA. Electronic address: Shantini.Gamage@va.gov.
authors: Shantini D
authors: SD
authors: Gamage
authors: National Infectious Diseases Service, Specialty Care Services, Patient Care Services, Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420, USA.
authors: Meredith
authors: M
authors: Ambrose
authors: National Infectious Diseases Service, Specialty Care Services, Patient Care Services, Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 3230 Eden Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; Medical Service, Cincinnati VA Medical Center, 3200 Vine Street, Cincinnati, OH 45220, USA.
authors: Stephen M
authors: SM
authors: Kralovic
authors: National Infectious Diseases Service, Specialty Care Services, Patient Care Services, Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 3230 Eden Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA; Medical Service, Cincinnati VA Medical Center, 3200 Vine Street, Cincinnati, OH 45220, USA.
authors: Gary A
authors: GA
authors: Roselle
mesh_terms: D060766:Drinking Water; D006268:Health Facilities; D006801:Humans; D007875:Legionella; D007876:Legionellosis; D012498:Sanitary Engineering; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014881:Water Supply
chemical_list: D060766:Drinking Water
keywords: Health care premise plumbing; Legionella prevention; Risk assessment; Water safety plans; Water-associated infections