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It has been recognized for many years that contamination of hot water tanks, shower heads, and faucets can lead to infections with Legionella species and other gram-negative pathogens. Recently, several reports have linked hospital-acquired infections to contamination of sinks and drains. Now, two new reports further highlight the risk for hospital-acquired infections with contaminated wastewater systems.
In the first study, Mathers and colleagues investigated potential wastewater plumbing contamination within a hospital's intensive care units (ICUs) because of ongoing transmission of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase–producing organisms (KPCOs) that did not appear explainable by patient-to-patient events.
In an 18-month preintervention per…