Water dispenser linked to legionnaires’ disease case in private Hong Kong hospital

Devices dispensing cooled boiled water tested positive for Legionella bacteria at Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital, authorities say

An 89-year-old patient at the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital is highly likely to have contracted legionnaires’ disease after drinking water from a contaminated dispenser, health authorities have said.

The Centre for Health Protection confirmed on Tuesday that samples from devices dispensing cooled boiled water at the private hospital in Happy Valley tested positive for Legionella pneumophila at levels far above the safety threshold for high‑risk areas of hospitals.

Genetic testing found that the bacteria matched the strain in the patient’s respiratory specimen.

The hospital has stopped using the affected dispensers. A total of 137 patients who stayed on the same floor as the infected man are under medical surveillance, but none has developed the disease.

Legionnaires’ disease is a severe, potentially life-threatening form of pneumonia caused by breathing in Legionella bacteria.

The patient had been hospitalised since April 1 for underlying illnesses, during which he occasionally experienced symptoms such as shortness of breath.

His shortness of breath worsened on July 6, prompting hospital staff to collect a respiratory specimen, which tested positive for Legionella pneumophila. The man’s condition improved following antibiotic treatment.