Environmental Services

Since person-to-person spread does not occur with Legionella pneumonia, it remains one of the very few healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) linked exclusively to an environmental source in this case, water. Unfortunately, the advantage of focusing prevention efforts on this defined reservoir is offset by the ubiquity of water in healthcare settings and the varied ways in which water systems may interact with the provision of patient care.

As healthcare workers know, pathogens can survive in the environment for significant periods of time. And if surfaces are not cleaned and disinfected appropriately, these pathogens can be passed on to patients and hospital staff and cause significant, potentially fatal, health complications.