By Jeff Wardon, Jr., Assistant Editor

Infection control is a critical function at healthcare facilities. Patients must be kept safe from the various infectious pathogens floating around the building, as one hospital in Needham, Massachusetts recently learned. 

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) has confirmed a healthcare-associated case of Legionnaires’ disease at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, WCVB reports. Health officials have launched an investigation into the case with the hospital officials working alongside them. No information has been given about the patient’s status or how they contracted the Legionella bacteria. DPH says it is overseeing infection control protocols at the hospital. 

Related: Legionella Prevention in Cooling Tower Systems

Legionella is spread through airborne water droplets that if inhaled can cause Legionnaires’ disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The disease can be fatal if untreated, so it is imperative for healthcare facilities managers to actively monitor for Legionella bacteria in their buildings and water heating systems. 

As Amy Turner, director of marketing at Intellihot, previously told Healthcare Facilities Today, swapping out tank-style water heaters for tankless ones can reduce the potential for Legionella growth in three ways:  

1. Stagnant, stored water presents the ideal conditions for bacteria to thrive in. It also speeds up the accumulation of impurities like sediments and biofilm which hastens contamination. Reducing or eliminating these impurities is key to reducing Legionella risks.  
2. Tankless units maintain a consistent output water temperature without any additional controls in place, eliminating mechanical points of failure found in mixing valves. Such consistency eliminates the need to stratify water. Water stratification results in pockets of attractive temperatures for Legionella. Creating temperatures that are inhospitable to Legionella is key to mitigating its risk.  
3. Tankless units use advanced flow control, which keeps the water moving rather than storing it in stagnant tanks. Legionella cannot thrive in moving water. 

Jeff Wardon, Jr., is the assistant editor of the facilities market.