7 dead in Legionnaires' outbreak at Illinois veterans' home
Seven residents at the Illinois Veterans' Home at Quincy have died in a Legionnaires' disease outbreak at the facility, the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs (IDVA) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced Tuesday.
The deceased residents, all of whom had underlying medical conditions, were among the 39 people at the facility who have been diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease so far. Test results for other residents remain pending.
"We continue to work diligently with our public health and Veterans' Affairs partners to get immediate medical care to residents or staff at the Home who are experiencing respiratory illness," IDPH Director Dr. Nirav D. Shah said in a statement. "Unfortunately, we expect to see additional cases and possibly additional deaths because the incubation period for Legionnaires' disease can be up to two weeks, and because patients with underlying medical conditions are at increased risk of more severe illness."
Officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention arrived yesterday to assist the state agencies in investigating the outbreak.
Legionnaires' disease is a bacterial infection of the lungs that can cause a range of symptoms, from a mild respiratory illness to severe pneumonia and death.
Legionella bacteria are typically found in warm water environments, including water taps, hot water tanks, cooling towers, whirlpool spas and decorative fountains.
Most people contract Legionnaires' disease by inhaling mist or vapor from a contaminated water source. The disease is not spread through person-to-person contact or by drinking contaminated water.
Legionnaires' tends to be more common in summer months. An outbreak in New York City in July and August killed 12 people and sickened more than 100.