Deaths of three in San Antonio investigated
 


ELIZABETH WHITE
Associated Press

DALLAS - A third person diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease has died in a spate of cases that may be linked to a San Antonio hospital, a health official said Tuesday.

The death Monday of a 78-year-old man followed those of a 60-year-old woman and 65-year-old man last month, according to Roger Sanchez, epidemiologist for the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District.

"They had a diagnosis of Legionella and they died," he said. "What percentage Legionella had in their deaths, I don't know yet."

He noted that all three had pre-existing medical conditions before contracting the disease, which is a type of pneumonia caused by the Legionella bacteria.

The three are among eight cases of the disease diagnosed at North Central Baptist Hospital that may have been acquired during visits or inpatient stays there, Sanchez said. The remaining five people are no longer in the hospital, he said.

A ninth case also was diagnosed at the hospital, but it's unclear whether it could have been contracted there and that person hasn't been located, Sanchez said.

The 78-year-old man died at Northeast Baptist Hospital after being transferred there from North Central Baptist, while May's victims died at North Central Baptist, Sanchez said.

The investigation into the cases isn't complete, but Sanchez said "preliminary indications" show two or three people may have picked up the disease at North Central Baptist. He said the health district, which is the health authority for Bexar County, suspects all eight cases were contracted at the hospital.

A statement released by Baptist Health System, of which North Central Baptist is a part, said that as soon as the first patient was diagnosed, the hospital began testing the water system, where the bacteria is usually found. The hospital said it took precautionary measures to get rid of any bacteria.

Baptist Health System also got preliminary results Monday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicating some of the patients may have been exposed to the bacteria at North Central Baptist, the statement said.
"We have experienced no new cases in more than a week; and we continue to aggressively monitor all of our patients," the statement said.

The nine cases were diagnosed between May 5 and June 4, the Baptist Health System said.

The disease takes its name from an outbreak at the Pennsylvania American Legion convention held in Philadelphia in July 1976 where 34 people died.

Officials from the CDC and the Texas Department of Health said they have people assisting in the investigation.
Bexar County usually sees between six and 12 cases of the disease each year, or about one every six weeks, Sanchez said.
 
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