Paris Healthcare Linen Services has been discovered to be the original source of the mold.
A deadly mold outbreak at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center hospital campuses Montefiore, Presbyterian and Shadyside in Western Pennsylvania has been linked to contaminated bed linens from Paris Healthcare Linen Services. The contaminated sheets and linens were distributed by Paris Linen’s DuBois facility in Clearfield County; the same location which provides linens to all UPMC hospital campuses.
The attorneys of Lupetin & Unatin are currently (as of October 31, 2017) representing four families in cases against the UPMC hospital system and Paris Companies in which multiple transplant patients have died as a result of a fungal infection. More such lawsuits are expected to be filed in the coming weeks.
About The Mold Outbreak
This mold outbreak started with sheets that were contaminated with the fungi including Rhizopus, Rhizomucor, Mucor, Lichtheimia, and Zygomycetes.
These common fungi are considered harmless for most people – but for immune compromised patients or those suffering from auto-immune diseases they can result in a deadly infection such as Mucormycosis or Zygomycosis.
The sheets delivered by Paris Companies to the UPMC hospital system were found to be damp and contaminated with the mold spores. Upon delivery they were distributed throughout the hospitals, including to the transplant wards, where immune suppressed transplant patients were exposed to the fungi both through skin contact and more dangerously, through respiratory contact.
As of February 2017, the UPMC hospital system continues to use Paris Companies as their hospital linen distributor, and Paris Companies continues to use the same laundry service.
Any patient suffering from an auto-immune disorder or a compromised immune system needs to be aware that UPMC hospitals may not taking proper precautions to protect patients from exposure do potentially deadly mold and fungal infections.
Additional Articles About The UPMC Mold Outbreak From Other Sources:
Trib Live: Family disturbed by UPMC statements on mold death
CNN: Lawsuit alleges sixth death linked to Pittsburgh hospital mold outbreak
Post Gazette: Lawsuit says mold killed patient at third UPMC hospital
CBS: Attorneys: 6th Patient Died Due To UPMC Mold Outbreak
WPXI: Lawsuit blames death of 6th patient on UPMC mold
WTAE : New lawsuit alleges wrongful death of UPMC Shadyside patient due to mold infection
CNN: Mold at two Pittsburgh hospitals linked to 5 deaths
Contact our experienced medical malpractice lawyers if you have questions about any patient treated at UPMC hospitals that experienced a fungal infection during hospitalization.