A patient at Kaiser Permanente’s Moanalua Medical Center has tested positive for Legionella bacteria, the first reported case of the disease since an outbreak earlier in the year that left one person dead.
State Department of Health spokeswoman Janice Okubo said the case was reported to the department Tuesday and was determined to have originated within the hospital. She said the department has been working closely with the medical facility on appropriate follow-up measures.
“Our staff is confident that there is no risk to the public,” Okubo said.
According to Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, the patient has recovered and is expected to be discharged soon.
“It’s unclear where this infection may have come from, but we’ve already begun an intensive investigation and are taking extra precautions to protect our members and staff from the possibility of infection,” the medical center reported in a statement released Friday. “In an initial review, we see no indication of other cases having occurred at our medical center and will continue to work closely with the Department of Health. Our patients’ safety and well-being are our highest priority.”
The Kaiser statement noted that Legionella, the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease, is not transmitted person to person and that infection is rare in healthy individuals.
Legionnaires’ disease, which can develop into a particularly fatal form of pneumonia, most often affects seniors or those with weakened immune systems. People who smoke or who have chronic lung problems are also at higher risk of infection.
In June, DOH and The Queen’s Medical Center issued a news alert regarding four patients at the hospital who had contracted Legionnaires’ disease, one of whom later died. All four patients were older than 50 and had other serious medical conditions.
At the time, it was determined that two of the cases were related and may have originated at the hospital; the other two were deemed unrelated.
Legionella can be transmitted through the air by breathing in mists from a water source containing the bacteria, according to a DOH fact sheet. The bacteria can exist in pumping systems, hot-water tanks, air-conditioning cooling towers, whirlpool spas and contaminated soil.
Symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease usually manifest five or six days after exposure to the bacteria; however, the incubation period can extend up to two weeks.
Legionella infection, called legionellosis, can also result in Pontiac fever, a less severe illness that involves mild, flu-like symptoms.
