14 Infections, 6 Deaths Linked To Mold At Seattle Children's

SEATTLE, WA — Persistent air quality issues at Seattle Children's have led to 14 infections and six deaths since 2001, the hospital's CEO announced Monday morning. The latest outbreak linked to Aspergillus mold has infected seven patients since 2018, including one patient who died. The illnesses prompted the closure of several operating rooms over the summer and a lengthy closure announced last week.

Aspergillus is a fungus commonly found in the air, but exposure can be dangerous to sensitive groups and those undergoing surgical procedures.

The hospital's CEO, Dr. Jeff Sperring, apologized to patients and families at a press conference Monday and acknowledged the problems should have been identified sooner.

"First, I need to apologize. I apologize to the patients who developed infections and to their families. This is devastating for them – and for us. I apologize to all of our patients who depend on us and have been impacted; to every mom, dad or caregiver who has placed their confidence in us; to our community who has trusted us for 112 years; and to our team whose sole focus is the health and safety of our kids.

My job as CEO is to make this right and fix the problem so we can get back to taking care of the children who need us. We have a critical role in the community – and we take this responsibility incredibly seriously. We are here every day to do the right thing for patients and families. Patient safety is our highest priority.

As we have previously shared, Seattle Children’s has had seven Aspergillus surgical site infections since the summer of 2018. We are deeply saddened that one of those patients died.

As we have looked more closely at our history of Aspergillus infections, we believe there are connections between recent and past infections. Between 2001 and 2014, seven patients developed Aspergillus surgical site infections. Tragically, five of those patients died.

At the time, we believed most of these were isolated infections. However, we now believe that these infections were likely caused by the air handling systems that serve our operating rooms. Looking back, we should have recognized these connections sooner. As CEO, I hold myself – and Seattle Children’s – to a higher standard."

Read Seattle Children's full statement released Monday.

Routine air tests on November 10 again detected Aspergillus present in several operating rooms at Children's. Last week, the hospital announced it would close a majority of operating rooms until January while crews will work to install custom HEPA air filtration systems.

Dr. Sperring said hospital leadership would consult outside experts to verify everything possible was being done to prevent further infections and improve patient safety. The hospital said many planned surgeries would be postponed or reassigned to partner hospitals.

The Seattle Times reports Seattle Children's was sued by the parents of a teenage boy last month, after he developed meningitis from exposure to the mold.

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