UW Hospital Now Has 14 Cases Of Legionnaires’ And 3 Deaths

A Legionnaires’ disease outbreak linked to UW Hospital’s water system has infected 14 people with the pneumonia-like bacteria, and three have died.

Hospital spokeswoman Lisa Brunette tells the Wisconsin State Journal that the patients who died had other serious, life-limiting health conditions.

One patient remains hospitalized.

A hospital official has said the cases appear to be linked to a recent decision to reduce water flow at the hospital during low-demand times, which can make the system more vulnerable to bacteria. Regular flow has since resumed, and the hospital has chlorinated the water system.

Legionnaires’ is named for a 1976 outbreak at an American Legion convention in Philadelphia that hospitalized more than 200 people and killed 34.