Legionnaires' Disease Confirmed At Manteno Veterans Home

MANTENO, IL - The Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs on Tuesday confirmed one case of Legionnaires' disease has been reported at the Manteno Veterans Home. A resident of the home who was being treated at a hospital tested positive for the disease, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Legionnaires disease is a severe form of pneumonia that's often caused by infection. The positive test reported at the home in Manteno comes more than three years after a deadly Legionnaires outbreak at the Quincy Veterans Home.

Officials at the IDVA indicate a rapid response was put into place once they were informed of the positive test.

“We are taking every precaution necessary to protect our residents, staff, and visitors at our Manteno Home,” IDVA Director Stephen Curda said in a statement.

Curda issued immediate directives to notify the residents, next of kin or Power of Attorneys of each resident and every member of the home staff. Water safety remediation response pre-plans began immediately, according to the IDVA.

The IDVA's response includes flushing and heat-treating its potable water systems. Medical checks of residents will be increased to every four hours, ABC-7 reports.

According to Illinois Department of Public Health, 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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