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Transplant Patient Who Contracted Fungal Infection At UPMC Hospital Dies

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Another UPMC transplant patient has died.

Dan Krieg, 56, an Elk County native and trucking company employee, passed away at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital on Saturday, seven months after a successful kidney transplant at UPMC Montefiore.

He had returned to UPMC with a virus, but only became sicker once there.

"He began to develop signs and symptoms of a different condition, pneumonia; and ultimately, that pneumonia was determined to be in part, a fungal infection," said Brendan Lupetin, the Krieg family's attorney.

The Krieg family's lawyers say the fungal infection was caused by mold at the hospital. They say Krieg's death is another in a series of mold-related deaths among UPMC transplant patients.

But, in a statement, UPMC says Krieg's death "was not directly related to the fungal infection, but rather can be attributed to pneumonia."

They released this statement:

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of Mr. Krieg. His death was not directly related to the fungal infection, but rather can be attributed to pneumonia. Our partners at the state and federal level have been notified and we continue to work with them to better understand and learn from the course of Mr. Krieg's illness. Our thoughts and sympathies go to his family, and our doctors and nurses who cared for him over the past several months."

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Before this case, the most recent case was the death of Che Duvall, of Perryopolis, last winter.

"That this should've happened months after Che Duvall had succumbed to a viral infection in exactly the same circumstances is to us a bit remarkable," said Jerry Meyers, a Krieg family attorney.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has already investigated UPMC and made recommendations to stop mold infections.

The Krieg family lawyers say the CDC needs to return and make sure those recommendations are being followed.

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