Four men have died in the Legionnaires’ Disease outbreak at the Illinois Veterans’ Home in Quincy. Twenty-nine residents of the facility have been sickened in this outbreak. The water system at the facility had to be contaminated with the pathogenic bacteria for this type of outbreak to occur.
The Illinois Department of Public Health stated that appropriate maintenance of water systems in large facilities is critical. Public health officials have not revealed the source of the bacteria, and we do not know if a protocol for preventing this contamination was in place. A lawsuit is, in most cases, the only way to discover critical information about maintenance plans. Chemical treatments, biocides, and heating water can all help kill this bacteria before it makes people sick.
Those sickened in this outbreak and their families can contact our firm for a free consultation about filing a lawsuit. Our attorneys are experienced in dealing with Legionnaires’ Disease cases. These cases require that specific elements in the suit are proved, so it’s important to hire attorneys who understand the complexities of Legionnaires’ cases.
The symptoms of Legionnaires’ Disease include cough that may bring up mucus or blood, fever, and chills. Shortness of breath, muscle aches, headache, chest pain, fatigue, and confusion may be present. This disease is similar to pneumonia. Current and former smokers, those with compromised immune systems, people over the age of 50, and those with chronic lung disease are most susceptible to the illness and to serious complications.
People contract this illness by breathing contaminated vapor. Legionnaires’ Disease is not spread person-to-person.
Diagnosis of this illness is sometimes delayed, because the symptoms are so similar to pneumonia. When several people living in the same area become sick with the same symptoms, Legionnaires’ is considered. Special lab tests are needed to diagnose Legionella pneumonia.
The Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs, the Illinois State Department of Health, and the Adams County Health Department are working together to find the source of this outbreak and to clean the facility. The Home does have a cooling tower, along with fountains.