Experiences of the First 16 Hospitals Using Copper-Silver Ionization for Legionella Control: Implications for the Evaluation of Other Disinfection Modalities

This study, originally published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, assesses the long-term efficacy of copper-silver ionization as a disinfection method in controlling Legionella in hospital water systems and reducing the incidence of hospital-acquired Legionnaires’ disease. The researchers used a standardized, evidence-based approach to assist hospitals with decision making concerning the potential purchase of a disinfection system. Prior to installation, all 16 hospitals reported cases of hospital-acquired Legionnaires’ disease. All were acute care hospitals with a mean of 435 beds.