Legionella Control & Prevention

Hospitals & Health Care Facilities

Disinfecting hospital water systems using the copper-silver ionization method of disinfection will eliminate the existence and thwart the onset of legionnaire’s disease. A study reviewing the initial 16 hospitals outfitted with copper-silver ionization systems revealed the method’s ultimate control over the occurrence of legionella*. Occurrences of hospital-acquired legionnaire’s disease prior to the 1995 study are documented for each of these facilities. Since that time, reports reveal a complete lack of hospital-acquired legionnaire’s disease in these same facilities once the copper-silver disinfection method was instituted.

It is noteworthy that, prior to the employment of the copper-silver ionization method, the majority of the 16 acute care hospitals participating in the study (75%) had tried to disinfect their water by various other techniques, including superheat and flush, ultraviolet light and hyperchlorination. The study was just one phase of a larger assessment undertaken to guide health care institutions in their selection of the most efficient and effective long-term mode of water disinfection.

* EXPERIENCES OF THE FIRST 16 HOSPITALS USING COPPER-SILVER IONIZATION FOR LEGIONELLA CONTROL: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE EVALUATION OF OTHER DISINFECTION MODALITIES. Janet E. Stout, PhD & Victor L. Yu, MD

To learn about your options for control and prevention of legionella in your hospital or health care facility, contact us or fill out a facility information form to obtain a quote.