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

An 89-year-old patient at the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital is highly likely to have contracted legionnaires’ disease. Health authorities confirmed on Tuesday that samples from cooled boiled water dispensers at the private hospital tested positive for Legionella pneumophila. The bacteria levels were significantly above the safety threshold for high-risk hospital areas. Genetic testing revealed that the strain of bacteria found in the patient's respiratory specimen matched that from the water dispensers. This suggests the patient contracted the disease from drinking water from a contaminated dispenser.