Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak Linked to Wisconsin Hospital’s Decorative Fountain
January 14, 2012

A 2010 outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in Wisconsin has been linked to a
decorative fountain in a hospital lobby, according to a study published in the
February issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.

Since this investigation, many healthcare facilities in Wisconsin shut down
or removed decorative fountains in their facilities, while others enhanced their
regular testing protocols to reduce the risk of Legionnaires’ disease, the
researchers report.  Healthcare facility construction guidelines published after
this outbreak stipulate that, “fountains and other open decorative water
features may represent a reservoir for opportunistic human pathogens; thus they
are not recommended for installation within any enclosed spaces in healthcare
facilities.”