An outbreak first identified in late August has sickened 53 residents at the home, nine of whom died.
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An additional 47 people have been sickened, majority also at the Illinois Veterans’ Home-Quincy, about 240 miles southwest of Chicago, according to a statement from the Illinois Department of Public Health. Officers say these instances aren’t related to the bigger outbreak.
Residents of the veterans home continue to rely on bottled water and sponge baths as a precaution. The illness is usually contracted via inhaling micro organism – transmitted in mist or vapor – that thrives in heat water. The supply of the outbreak stays undetermined. 3, there are seven confirmed cases of inmates, and no confirmed cases of staff, with Legionnaires’ disease.
Of the two new deaths reported, one occurred Wednesday. The second had died earlier, but test results weren’t available until Tuesday.
“The variety of settings and water sources implicated in the Legionella outbreaks reported here highlights the complexity of Legionella control… particularly in settings where susceptible persons congregate, such as hospitals, long-term care facilities, and other health-care settings”, Karlyn Beer, of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and colleagues wrote.
One resident died Wednesday morning, and had underlying medical conditions that contributed to their death.
Shay Drummond, director of clinical and environmental services for Adams County, said the average age of those who died is 88.
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As officials await testing to determine the source of the outbreak, a local organization is stepping up to help the veterans home during its crisis.
