Back in February I had a post on the unnerving allegations pertaining to five allegedly mold-related deaths at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center[UPMC]. Just recently yet another wrongful death lawsuit has been filed, claiming the linens used by the UPMC caused the death of a leukemia patient. The lawsuit, filed of behalf of Katherine Landman, is the seventh lawsuit filed against UPMC hospitals since 2014 alleging mold caused the death of a seriously ill patient. Ms. Landman was admitted to UPMC Shadyside Hospital for a bone marrow transplant. After Landman’s admission, she developed an infection from a type of mold that entered her sinuses. Doctors attempted surgery to remove the offending fungus but determined that her infection could not be cured. Landman died in October, 2015.

UPMC maintains its hospital facilities are safe and that continuing testing shows no evidence “concerning mold infections.” Paris Healthcare Linens, the linen supplier for UPMC sites, also issued a statement claiming that multiple investigations failed to demonstrate any link between the infection deaths and their linens.

In September of 2015, the Centers for Disease Control investigated the earlier deaths and indicated that the deaths were not due to the linens but instead due to ventilation issues that allowed mold and dust to enter patient rooms.