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Legionnaire's Bacteria Found at Pittsburgh-Area VA Clinic

A Pittsburgh Veterans Affairs clinic in a suburban mall has been closed so crews can superheat its tap water to kill bacteria that cause Legionnaire's disease.

Officials don't believe anyone has become ill from water at the clinic in the Washington Crown Center mall in North Franklin Township, about 20 miles southwest of Pittsburgh in Washington County.

That's according to Brandon Blatt, a vice president of Sterling Medical Corp. of Cincinnati, which leases and runs the clinic under a contract with the VA.

The Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare Systems says low levels of the bacteria were found in the clinic's water Thursday. The clinic is closed Friday, but should reopen Monday.

The Pittsburgh VA system in recent months has had 21 patients get Legionnaire's at two of its Pittsburgh-area hospitals. Five of those patients died, prompting Congressional inquiries.