Hostname: page-component-7b7567c8c-tnzcf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-11-12T20:35:13.872Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Persistence of Legionella in Healthcare Ice Machines Compared with Other Water Sources

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 June 2026

Allison Wu
Affiliation:
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Annabella Blackman
Affiliation:
Memorial Sloan Kettering
Judy Yan
Affiliation:
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Mini Kamboj
Affiliation:
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Tania Bubb
Affiliation:
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Shauna Usiak
Affiliation:
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the 'Save PDF' action button.

Background: Building water systems are known reservoirs for Legionella species, which can lead to healthcare-acquired infections, particularly among immunocompromised patients. Ice machines present complex internal surfaces and components that can support biofilm formation, which makes remediation challenging. This study evaluated the number of mitigation cycles required to eliminate Legionella from hospital water sources, with a focus on ice machines. Methods: A retrospective review of environmental Legionella testing from 2024-2025 was conducted. This included positive results identified from ice machines, sinks, and showers through routine surveillance and outbreak investigations. For each contaminated source, the number of mitigation cycles required for each source to achieve negative results was assessed. A total of 18 ice machines and 25 sinks and showers that tested positive for Legionella species were included in the analysis. Results: A total of 367 water sources were sampled during the study period, including 55 ice machines and 312 sinks and showers. 25 sinks and showers tested positive (8% of total samples) over a two-year period and required a mean of 1.66 mitigation cycles, with no fixture requiring more than five cycles to achieve negative results. In comparison, 18 positive ice machines (33% of total samples) required a mean of 2.67 mitigation cycles to achieve negative Legionella results, with one machine requiring eight cycles. Overall, the ice machines required, on average, one additional mitigation cycle to achieve negative results compared to the sinks and showers. ANOVA testing revealed no statistically significant differences in the number of cycles to clear Legionella between the different sources (F(2,40)=2.65, p=0.083). Conclusion: Ice machines demonstrated a higher frequency of persistent Legionella positivity and required more remediation cycles compared with sinks and showers. While the results were not statistically significant, additional data may demonstrate clearer differences in Legionella clearance across different sources. The persistent positive ice machines prompted implementation of an enhanced sanitization process beyond manufacturer recommendations. This highlights the challenges associated with biofilm control in these devices. Standard cleaning practices based on ice machine manufacturer’s instructions for use (MIFU) may be insufficient at eliminating contamination. These findings support the need for enhanced mitigation strategies and routine environmental surveillance.

A table comparing the number of positive samples and median cycles to negative for different water sources.

Information

Type
Environmental Cleaning
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America