Federal officials are focusing on water as the potential source of the bacteria that infected 15 patients at South Carolina's Greenville Memorial Hospital and may have contributed to three deaths, according to an article on the Greenville Online website.
The infection, atypical Mycobacterium abscessus, is part of the normal environment, like soil and dust. It’s also often found in water supplies.
While preliminary evidence focused on ice from a filtered-water ice machine that is used to cool-stop the heart without damaging heart tissue, it was subsequently ruled out as a potential source.
Nonetheless, the machine was removed from use on May 21. Additional equipment used for cardiac surgery was also removed as of June 6 as information developed.
Most of the affected patients at Greenville had undergone cardiac surgery, while two had abdominal surgery and one a neurological operation.
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