Hong Kong Hospital Patient Contracts Legionnaires' Disease from Contaminated Water Dispenser

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 after drinking water from a contaminated dispenser, health authorities have said. The Centre for Health Protection confirmed on Tuesday that samples from cooled boiled water dispensers 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...

By Danny Mok