7 years, 8 months ago by Scott Hardy
Officials unsure where bacteria came from
Legionnaire's Disease has returned to the Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy.
The Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs Tuesday said that two residents of the Quincy Veterans’ Home have been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease. The Department says it may never know exactly how the residents caught the disease, but in a statement, they say they're working with local and state health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to determine where the residents acquired the Legionella bacteria. Senior administration officials with the IDVA, Illinois Department of Public Health and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency are on their way to Quincy to coordinate with veterans’ home, county and city personnel. IDVA Director Erica Jeffries said that all new admissions to the home are being halted.
The Vets Home recently completed a nearly $5 million renovation of its plumbing systems, in response to the 2015 Legionnaires’ disease outbreak. 12 residents died, and 54 residents and staff came down with the disease.
