>>>
>>> COVID-19 MAY HAVE YOU INKING ABOUT YOUR HEALTH MORE
THAN EVER. 4@
MONTHS BEFORE THE PANDEMIC
STRUCK, WE STARTED LOOKING 4@IN
ANOTHER DANGEROUS INFECTION.
10 INVESTIGATES FOUND SOMETHING
HIDING IN A HOSPITAL WATER THAT
COULD ACTUALLY4@ HURT IN SOME
PATIENTS, EVEN KILLING THEM.4@
>>4@ I AM COMPLETELY DEVASTATED
I CRIED FOR HOURS.
>> Reporter: EVER 4@SINCE
SCHULER'S AUNT DIED SHE SAID
HER FAVORITE PLACE, 4@MYAKKA
RIVER STATE PARK, SHE COULD 4@G
THERE.4@
THERE.4@
THERE.4@ >> SHE COULD RELAX AND FORGET
ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING
ON IN 4@HER LIFE.
FOR HELP, EVERYTHING.
>> Reporter: WHEN SHE GOT A
LUNG TRANSPLANT AT THE GENERAL
HOSPITAL4@, HER FAMILY THOUGHT @
SHE WOULD FINALLY GET TO ENJOY
HER FAVORITE PARK AGAIN.
THAT DID NOT HAPPEN.
>> 4@IT SUCKS.
>> Reporter: SHE DIED AT TAMPA
GENERAL A YEAR LATER.
>> SHE WAS LIKE A MOM TO ME.
I MISS HER. 4@
THERE IS NOT A DAY THAT GOES BY
THAT I DO NOT THINK OF HER.
>> Reporter: HER FAMILY SAYS
SHE DIED FROM AN INFECTION MANY
PEOPLE HAVE NEVER HEARD OF.
NOT TO REGULUS MYCOBACTERIA,
MTM.
MTM.
MTM. HERE'S THE THING, IT IS NOT
UNUSUAL FOR IT 4@TO BE IN TAP
WATER.
WATER.
WATER. FOR THE MOST PART, THAT IS OKAY.
IS TYPICALLY NOT A THREAT FOR 4@
HEALTHY PEOPLE.
HEALTHY PEOPLE. FOR VULNERABLE PATIENTS IT CAN
BE DANGEROU4@S, EVEN FATAL.
>> A PATIENT WITH 4@A HARMED
IMMUNE SYSTEM ARE MUCH MORE
PRONE.
PRONE.
PRONE. >>
PRONE. >> Reporter: HOW COMM4@ON IS 4@
HERE? 4@
HERE? 4@
HERE? 4@ THAT IS HARD TO TRACK.
MEDICAL FACILITIES ARE NOT
REQUIRED TO REPORT INDIVIDUAL
INFECTIONS TO THE STATE.4@
EIGHT LOSSES FR4@OM PEOPLE WHO Y
THEY GOT THE INFECTIONS FROM A
MACHINE USED DURING THE SURGERY@
THREE OF THOSE FLORIDIANS DIE.
THREE CAME FROM PATIENTS IN 4@
TAMPA BAY.4@
TAMPA BAY.4@ A MAN HAD SURGERY AT THE SIDE
HOSPITAL IN ST. PETERSBURG, AND
A VETERAN IN TREASURE ISLAND
WHO HAD SURGERY AT A VA
HOSPITAL.
HOSPITAL.
HOSPITAL. >> THERE WAS A DROP IN THE
BUCKET.
BUCKET.
BUCKET. >> Reporter: AT DUKE MERCY 4@
MEDICAL CENTER, AN OUTBREAK
FROM 2013-2015 WERE LINKED TO
NEARLY 100 PATIENTS GETTING
INFECTED.
INFECTED.
INFECTED. 26 OF THEM AND DIED.
THE CAUSE 4@WAS4@ -- UNFILTERED
WATER USED IN A MACHINE THAT
REGULATES TEMPERATURES DURING
SURGERY.
SURGERY.
SURGERY. NONE OF THE FLORIDA LAWSUITS WE
FOUND WERE AGAINST THE
HOSPITAL'S.
HOSPITAL'S. THEY WERE AGAINST THE COMPANY
THAT MAKES4@ HEATER AND MACHINE
IT TURNS INTO MISS DURING
SURGERY.
SURGERY. 4@ IF THE WATER HAD4@ THE BACTERIA
IN IT THAT COULD CAUS4@E AN
INFECTION.
INFECTION. IT IS ESPECIALLY RISKY IF THE
MACHINE WAS NOT CLEANED UP
RIGHT.
RIGHT.
RIGHT. THEY AGREED TO PAY OUT $225
MILLION IN SETTLEMENT LUSTER. 4@
HEALTH EXPERTS WARNED NTN
INFECTIONS START WITH THE 4@
HOSPITAL WATCHERS THAT GOES
INTO THE MACHINES.
SOME HOSPITALS HAVE MADE
CHANGES TO HELP PREVENT MTM IN @
THE WATER.
THE WATER. DUKE INSTALLED WATER FILTERS IN
OPERATING ROOMS AND MADE
ENGINEERING CHANGES, LIKE
INCREASING WATER FLOW TO BETTER
WASH THEIR PIPES.
THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM 4@IN
SACRAMENTO IN SALT WATER
FILTERS IN OPERATING ROOMS IN
2014, AFTER MORE THAN A DOZEN
PATIENTS WERE INFECTED 4@DURING
SURGERY.
SURGERY.
SURGERY. AND 82-YEAR-OLD WAS ONE OF
THEM.
THEM.
THEM. >>
THEM. >> IT 4@FELT LIKE SOMETHING WAS
PULLING ME UP ALL PART.
IT WAS STRETCHING ME.
>> Reporter: THOSE HOSPITALS IN
THE CAROLINAS MADE CHANGES.
WHAT ABOUT THE TAMPA BAY
HOSPITALS?
HOSPITALS? PATIENTS STILL HAD THEIR
SURGERY.
SURGERY.
SURGERY. IN 2018, FLORIDA'S AGENCY FOR
HEALTH ADMINISTRATION SAID
TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL DID NOT @
HAVE A PROCEDURE TO IDENTIFY
WATERBORNE PATHOGENS4@. THEY FI
THEM $12,800.
THEM $12,800. THE AGENCY SAID THREE PATIENTS
IN 2017 HAD MYCOBACTERIA4@
DOCUMENTED BY THE HOSPITAL THAT
YEAR.
YEAR.
YEAR. THE4@ INFECTION.4@ 4@
DID NOT 4@INVESTIGATE THE4@
INFECTIONS CAME FROM THE
HOSPITAL'S WATER.
HOSPITAL'S WATER. THE TOES4@ THEY CORRECTED THOSE
PROBLEMS IN 2018.
THEY WOULD NOT DO AN INTERVIEW
FOR TH4@IS STORY.
NEITHER WITH NORTHSIDE HOSPITAL.
THEIR SPOKESPERSON TOLD US
NORTHSIDE HOSPITAL HAS NOT GONE
MTM AND ITS WATER SUPPLY.
HE ALSO CANNOT CONFIRM WHETHER
MTM TESTING HAS BEEN DONE AT
NORTHSIDE.4@
NORTHSIDE.4@ FDA HAS GOTTEN MORE THAN 400
REPORTS 4@OF THE RELATED
INJURIES, DEATHS, AND OTHER
PROBLEMS CONNECTED TO THE
MACHINES.
MACHINES.
MACHINES. EVEN AFTER HOSPITALS STARTED
MORE ACRES 4@CLEANING.
IN FDA CLEARANCE EARLIER THIS
YEAR FOR A CHANGE TO THE
MACHINES 4@THAT REDUCES THE RIS
>>4@ WE HAVE MISTER SINCE 4@SHE
LEFT.
LEFT.
LEFT. >>
LEFT. >> Reporter: SHE DOES NOT WANT
THIS TO HAPPEN TO ANYMORE
PATIENTS.
PATIENTS.
PATIENTS. SO THAT OTHER FAMILIES DO NOT 4@
HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE SAME
HEARTBREAK.
HEARTBREAK. NONE OF THE4@ INFECTIONS WE JUS
TOLD YOU ABOUT WERE REPORTED TO
THE STATE.
THE STATE. THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH TELLS US THAT FACILITIES
ONLY HAVE TO NOTIFY THEM IF
4@ THERE IS AN OUTBREAK.
WHEN IT COMES TO PATIENTS LIKE
LOIS4@, THE STATE GETS LEFT IN
THE DARK.
THE DARK.
THE DARK. >> FOR A SHARPER INSIDER THAT
SPOKE TO4@ THEIR CROISSANTS.
HE IS A MEMBER OF THE 4@FLORIDA
SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH
POLICY.
POLICY.
POLICY. IN HIS 4@INNER'S VIEW, BEFORE T
PANDEMIC, HE SAID HE HAD NO
IDEA THAT HOSPITALS DO NOT HAVE
TO REPORT INDIVIDUAL CASES OF
NONTUBERCULOUS MYCOBACTERIAL
NONTUBERCULOUS MYCOBACTERIAL INFECTIONS TO THE STATES.4@
>> 4@PEOPLE GO TO HOSPITALS
BECAUSE THEY EXPECT TO BE MADE
A HEALTHY. 4@
THEY ARE4@ IN COMPROMISED
PHYSICAL AND MEDICAL CONDITIONS.
THEY 4@SHOULD BE ABLE TO RELY O
THE SAFETY OF HOSPITALS,
HOSPITAL STAFF, AND HOSPITAL
ATMOSPHERE ENVIRONMENTS.
ATMOSPHERE ENVIRONMENTS. TO THE EXTENT THAT THIS FAILS 4@
THEM IT MAKES ME 4@FEEL UPSET. @
>> Reporter: HE IS NOW TAKING
ACTIONS.
ACTIONS.
ACTIONS. TWO WE4@EKS AGO, SENATOR SENT
THIS LETTER TO THE STATE
SURGEON GENERAL, GOING ON THE
FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO
SURGEON GENERAL, GOING ON THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO@
ENSURE PROPER REPORTING OF
INFECTIONS IN OUR STATE.
SAYING HE IS INTERESTED IN
FILING