Legionnaires’ Disease Cases Tied To Chicago Nursing Home

CHICAGO — A nursing home in Chicago's South Loop is one of two separate clusters of Legionnaires’ disease cases recently discovered in the state, the Illinois Department of Public Health announced Friday. Health officials in Lake and McHenry counties also identified a Walmart in the northwest suburb of Johnsburg as a possible exposure point for the serious lung infection.

Two residents at Chicago's Warren Barr South Loop Nursing Home, 1725 S. Wabash Ave., have been diagnosed with the disease, and the facility is revising its water management plan, as well as stepping up environmental sampling and clinical monitoring, the state health agency said in a statement. The nursing home residents — along with staff and the residents' identified contacts — have been notified about the cases.

The Johnsburg Walmart was identified as a possible common exposure area after public health officials noticed a slight increase in diagnosed Legionnaires’ disease cases in September, according to the IDPH. The retailer is following health agency recommendations, including turning off the water sprayers used for produce.

“The two recently identified clusters of Legionnaires’ disease are not connected,” IDPH director Dr. Nirav D. Shah said in a statement. “IDPH is continuing to investigate possible sources, identify other individuals who may have been exposed, and recommend remediation and prevention measures.”

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Illinois has about 300 reported cases of Legionnaires' disease annually, according to the IDPH. At least a dozen cases of Legionnaires' diseases were diagnosed in McHenry County over the summer, and at least six Champaign County residents had contracted the illness since Sept. 15.

In February, two residents of the Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy were diagnosed. Those cases came nearly three years after a fatal 2015 outbreak at the facility that claimed the lives of 12 residents and sickened dozens more.

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Legionnaires’ disease is a serious lung infection that can be contracted by breathing in water droplets containing Legionella bacteria. Outbreaks are usually linked to buildings or structures with complex water systems, such as hotels, hospitals or nursing homes. People with an increased risk of contracting Legionnaire’s disease include individuals 50 years or older, as well as current or former smokers, chronic disease sufferers and people with weakened immune systems.

According to IDPH, Legionnaires' disease can include the following symptoms:

• high fever (102 degrees to 105 degrees)
• chills
• muscle pain
• headache
• possible dry or wet cough
• shortness of breath
• chest pain
• possible gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea.

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Anyone who believes they have been exposed to Legionella bacteria should see a doctor. The time between exposure and the onset of illness can be up to 14 days.

Go to the websites for the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more information concerning Legionnaires’ disease.

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