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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — An Arkansas hospital has reported that a patient there was exposed to Legionella bacteria sometime within the past year.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports (http://bit.ly/13pcQNT ) that the Fayetteville Veterans Affairs hospital reported the exposure on Friday. Spokeswoman Wanda Shull says the patient was transferred from a community hospital to the veterans hospital on Dec. 8 with pneumonia and remains hospitalized.
Hospital staff members have given the patient a presumptive diagnosis of Legionella pneumonia based on a positive Legionella antigen test. Shull says a positive antigen test does not confirm the presence of the disease but does indicate the patient's exposure to it.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Legionella bacteria can cause a mild infection known as Pontiac fever and a more serious infection known as Legionnaires' disease.
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Information from: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, http://www.arkansasonline.com
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