2 New Legionnaires’ Cases At Illinois Veterans Home In Quincy

QUINCY, IL — The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is reporting two new cases of lab-confirmed Legionnaires’ disease among residents of the Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy. The new cases come nearly three years after a fatal outbreak of the disease, a bacteria-borne severe form of pneumonia. The 2015 outbreak killed 12 people at the veterans home and sickened dozens more, sparking a lawsuit and a $5 million rehabilitation of the home's water treatment plant.

IDPH said two more residents of the veterans home were recently diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease but are doing well. Another resident of the home was diagnosed with the illness in November, IDPH said late last year.

After learning of the lab-confirmed cases, Quincy veterans home engineering staff immediately removed faucets from the residents’ rooms and collected water samples and mixing valves to analyze for the presence of Legionella bacteria. Staff also increased water temperatures and flushed fixtures to provide an enhanced level of protection for residents.

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"The Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs and IDPH continue to collaborate with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Adams County Health Department to coordinate the safety and well-being of the residents and staff at the home," IDPH said in a statement. "An investigation is underway to identify where the residents may have acquired the bacteria."

In January, Gov. Bruce Rauner spent several nights at the veterans home to "gain a more thorough understanding of the clinical, water-treatment and residential operations of the home," according to a spokeswoman.

Image: In this Sept. 10, 2015 file photo, contractors assemble pipes to flush out a fire hydrant beneath the water tower at the state veterans home in Quincy, Ill. State records show Illinois is spending at least $2.3 million to fix the water system linked to a Legionnaires' disease outbreak that has killed 12 residents at the Quincy veterans home. (AP Photo/Alan Scher Zagier, File)