November 5, 2025
NEW YORK, NY — Ronald J. Katter, a New York attorney who specializes in Legionnaires’ disease litigation, is praising Cincinnati’s Christ Hospital for its prompt and thorough response after two patients were diagnosed with the disease.
The hospital reported on November 3 that two individuals had contracted Legionnaires’ disease within the past six weeks. Although the source of the bacteria has not yet been identified, Christ Hospital has initiated environmental testing, installed filters on faucets and shower heads, and is collaborating with local and state health officials to test its water system.
Officials say the risk to patients, visitors, and staff remains low, and current tests indicate that the hospital’s water system does not appear to be contaminated.
Legionnaires’ disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by inhaling water vapor containing Legionella bacteria, which often thrive in building water systems such as HVAC cooling towers. The CDC emphasizes that most outbreaks are preventable through proper maintenance.
“I commend the staff at Christ Hospital for its proactive stance in acting to get this situation under control,” said Katter. “Although there were only two people who were sickened by the disease, the hospital took no chances and acted promptly to slow its spread to other people.”
Although the hospital protected the faucets and shower heads, Katter said, “If the hospital’s HVAC system includes water cooling towers, those cooling towers should be tested for the presence of Legionella bacteria. Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks frequently originate in contaminated cooling towers.”
Katter, who first gained national attention in 2015 after representing victims of the deadly Opera House Hotel outbreak in the Bronx, says the latest cases underscore that Legionnaires’ disease is a recurring, national public health risk.