\n\t\t\t\t\t\tA longtime employee at the Pittsburgh VA Medical Center was hospitalized with Legionnaires\u2019 disease, according to his daughter. “I honestly didn’t even think that he was going to live to see this week \u2014 it was that bad,\u201d Ashley Jones told Pittsburgh\u2019s Action News 4 Reporter Jordan Cioppa. Jones said her father, Marvin Jones, was on a ventilator in the intensive care unit at UPMC East on Thursday. According to Jones, the 68-year-old Army veteran was in a medically induced coma. Jones has been by her father\u2019s side every day since he went to the emergency room last Tuesday. “It is mentally exhausting, physically exhausting,\u201d Jones said. Jones said her father has diabetes but was otherwise healthy. \u201cThis hospital stay has led to him getting dialysis every other day,\u201d Jones said.On Tuesday, one week after he was admitted, Jones received answers from doctors on her father\u2019s condition. She said the fluid in his lung tested positive for Legionella, which she said led to a Legionnaires\u2019 disease diagnosis. “Legionnaires\u2019 disease is a bacterial infection. Thousands of cases occur every year in the United States,\u201d Dr. Amesh Adalja told Pittsburgh\u2019s Action News 4. According to Adalja, a Pittsburgh-based infectious disease physician, people are exposed to the bacteria through water. He said the disease does not spread from person to person. “It\u2019s an environmental bacteria that people inhale, and in certain cases, it can cause pneumonia, which is what we kind of refer to when we’re talking about Legionnaires’ disease and pneumonia. That can be quite severe, but is treatable with antibiotics,\u201d the doctor said. In May, officials at the Pittsburgh VA Medical Center in Oakland confirmed that two patients tested positive for Legionella. Jones said her dad worked in environmental services at the medical center up until his hospitalization. \u201cHe doesn’t go anywhere else besides food, shopping and work,\u201d Jones said. While the VA said last month that the water lines were treated, flushed, and tested \u2013 Jones said she believes her dad contracted the illness at work. “They should be held accountable to some extent because again, my dad has been in the ICU fighting for his life for the last 10 days,\u201d Jones said. Pittsburgh\u2019s Action News 4 was waiting to hear back from the VA with more information. In 2011, at least six Pittsburgh VA patients died of Legionnaires\u2019 disease, and more than 20 patients were sickened.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tPITTSBURGH \u2014 \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
A longtime employee at the Pittsburgh VA Medical Center was hospitalized with Legionnaires\u2019 disease, according to his daughter. <\/p>\n
“I honestly didn’t even think that he was going to live to see this week \u2014 it was that bad,\u201d Ashley Jones told Pittsburgh\u2019s Action News 4 Reporter Jordan Cioppa. <\/p>\n
Jones said her father, Marvin Jones, was on a ventilator in the intensive care unit at UPMC East on Thursday. According to Jones, the 68-year-old Army veteran was in a medically induced coma. <\/p>\n
Jones has been by her father\u2019s side every day since he went to the emergency room last Tuesday. <\/p>\n
“It is mentally exhausting, physically exhausting,\u201d Jones said. <\/p>\n
Jones said her father has diabetes but was otherwise healthy. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis hospital stay has led to him getting dialysis every other day,\u201d Jones said.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, one week after he was admitted, Jones received answers from doctors on her father\u2019s condition. She said the fluid in his lung tested positive for Legionella, which she said led to a Legionnaires\u2019 disease diagnosis. <\/p>\n
“Legionnaires\u2019 disease is a bacterial infection. Thousands of cases occur every year in the United States,\u201d Dr. Amesh Adalja told Pittsburgh\u2019s Action News 4. <\/p>\n
According to Adalja, a Pittsburgh-based infectious disease physician, people are exposed to the bacteria through water. He said the disease does not spread from person to person. <\/p>\n
“It\u2019s an environmental bacteria that people inhale, and in certain cases, it can cause pneumonia, which is what we kind of refer to when we’re talking about Legionnaires’ disease and pneumonia. That can be quite severe, but is treatable with antibiotics,\u201d the doctor said. <\/p>\n
In May, officials at the Pittsburgh VA Medical Center in Oakland confirmed that two patients<\/a> tested positive for Legionella. <\/p>\n Jones said her dad worked in environmental services at the medical center up until his hospitalization. <\/p>\n \u201cHe doesn’t go anywhere else besides food, shopping and work,\u201d Jones said. <\/p>\n While the VA said last month that the water lines were treated, flushed, and tested \u2013 Jones said she believes her dad contracted the illness at work. <\/p>\n “They should be held accountable to some extent because again, my dad has been in the ICU fighting for his life for the last 10 days,\u201d Jones said. <\/p>\n Pittsburgh\u2019s Action News 4 was waiting to hear back from the VA with more information. <\/p>\n