Elliot Olsen has regained millions for people harmed by Legionnaires’ disease. If you or a family member were affected by this Carol Stream outbreak, please call Elliot at (612) 337-6126 for a free consultation.

Two Carol Stream retirement home residents have died, and a third was sickened, in a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak being investigated by Illinois health officials.

Officials for the Covenant Living at Windsor Park retirement home did not release any other information on the three victims, who were sickened in the past eight months.

“Two residents of Windsor Park have died from a combination of Legionnaires’ disease and other underlying conditions,” Don Bolger, DuPage County Health Department’s public information officer, told the Daily Herald.

Carol Stream is a village of about 40,000 people in DuPage County, 34 miles west of the Chicago Loop.

Carol Stream outbreak: 2nd for Covenant Living

Windsor Park is the second Covenant Living facility in less than a year to report a Legionnaires outbreak. Last October, 15 cases were recorded in Batavia by the Kane County Health Department: 13 at Covenant Living at the Holmstad, and two in residents in the neighboring community. A source for that outbreak was not identified.

Covenant Living has 16 communities in nine states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Washington. Along with the Batavia and Carol Stream locations in Illinois, Covenant Living also has facilities in Chicago, Geneva, and Northbrook.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and DCHD are working with Windsor Park officials to examine the facility and see if the source of the Legionella, the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease, can be located. State officials will test the facility’s water.

Carol Stream outbreak: Illinois woes

This is already the fourth Legionnaires’ disease incident for the state of Illinois in 2020 – the only reported incidents in the U.S. so far this year.

Last week, a single case of the pneumonia-like illness was diagnosed in a resident of Meadowbrook Manor, a senior home in Bolingbrook. The Will County Health Department and the IDPH are investigating.

Earlier in the month, two residents at Balmoral Nursing Home and one resident at The Admiral at the Lake were diagnosed with the respiratory illness. The two North Side nursing homes are less than 2 miles apart in Chicago. It’s still unknown what caused those illnesses.

Carol Stream outbreak: possible sources

Legionnaires’ disease – which is also known as legionellosis or Legionella pneumonia – is a respiratory illness that is contracted when people inhale microscopic, aerosolized water droplets (vapor or mist) that are spread by showers, faucets, swimming pools, hot tubs, or decorative fountains, to name just a few.

Legionella bacteria thrive in warm water and are found primarily in human-made environments. Other potential breeding grounds, along with the above examples, include:

  • water systems of large buildings (nursing homes, hospitals, hotels, etc.)
  • large plumbing systems
  • air-conditioning system cooling towers
  • hot-water heaters and tanks
  • physical-therapy equipment
  • mist machines and hand-held sprayers.

According to DuPage County officials, Windsor Park is “implementing multiple control measures,” including flushing the plumbing system. Officials also are trying to identify other potential Legionnaires cases, based on IDPH recommendations.

Covenant Living officials have contacted residents, resident’s families, and staff regarding the situation.

Carol Stream outbreak: disease symptoms

If you are a resident of,  an employee of, or are a recent visitor to the Covenant Living at Windsor Park and are feeling flu- or pneumonia-like symptoms, you should seek care from your health-care provider. Symptoms often can be mistaken for the common flu.

Even if you’ve already recovered, and were not diagnosed with legionellosis, informing your physician that you spent time at the retirement community since last May is recommended, now that the outbreak has been identified.

The disease often is overlooked or undiagnosed, leading to the condition being underreported, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

For the disease to be classified correctly, specific testing and diagnosis must be done from a Legionnaires’ disease standpoint, and those tests are often not ordered. It’s not required for physicians to order Legionella-specific testing when a patient presents with pneumonia.

Initial symptoms include:

  • headaches
  • muscle pains
  • chills
  • fever, which can be 104 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.

By the second or third day, symptoms can worsen to include:

  • cough, which can bring up mucus or blood
  • shortness of breath, also called dyspnea
  • chest pains, also called pleurisy or pleuritis
  • gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
  • confusion and other mental changes.

Although Legionnaires’ disease primarily affects the lungs, it occasionally can cause infections in wounds and other parts of the body, including the heart. Untreated Legionnaires’ disease usually worsens during the first week, which is why early diagnosis is key to recovery.

Carol Stream outbreak: high-risk groups

A 2015 study by the CDC stated that “75 percent of (Legionnaires’ disease) acquired in health-care settings could be prevented with better water management.”

Most people exposed to Legionella do not get sick, but people 50 years old and older – especially those who smoke or have chronic lung conditions – are at a much higher risk.

Other people more susceptible to infection include:

  • recipients of organ transplants
  • individuals who are on specific drug protocols (corticosteroids, to name one)
  • heavy drinkers of alcoholic beverages.

This list also includes anyone with an immune system weakened by:

  • frequent and recurrent pneumonia, bronchitis, sinus infections, ear infections, meningitis or skin infections
  • organ inflammation and infection
  • blood disorders, such as low platelet counts or anemia
  • digestive problems, such as cramping, appetite loss, diarrhea, and nausea
  • delayed growth and development.

After Legionnaires’ disease has been diagnosed, hospitalization is often necessary. In the most severe cases, complications can include respiratory failure, kidney failure, septic shock, or even death.

Elliot Olsen has regained millions for people harmed by Legionnaires’ disease. If you or a family member were sickened in a Chicago outbreak, please call Elliot at (612) 337-6126 for a free consultation.

Public health officials in Chicago are investigating the New Year’s first Legionnaires’ disease cases at not one but two North Side nursing homes.

Chicago outbreak: Two nursing homes, three sickened

Two residents at Balmoral Nursing Home (2055 West Balmoral) and one resident at The Admiral at the Lake (929 West Foster) were diagnosed with the pneumonia-like respiratory illness. The two facilities are less than two miles apart, but a news release from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) stated that the cases “do not appear to be related.”

Legionnaires’ disease – which is also known as legionellosis or Legionella pneumonia – is contracted when people inhale microscopic aerosolized water droplets (vapor or mist), such as those formed by showers, hot tubs, misting stations or large air conditioners.

Chicago outbreak: tests performed

The IDPH, which sent investigators to both facilities and conducted water testing, is working on the investigation with the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the Chicago Department of Water Management. The agencies are trying to determine whether the three victims were sickened at their respective nursing homes or elsewhere.

Results from the IDPH’s water samples are expected before the end of the month.

December testing by Balmoral’s water consultants was negative for Legionella, the bacteria that causes LD.

“The facility is conducting water treatment and testing,” Balmoral administrator Meir Stern wrote in a statement. “The facility’s water has consistently tested negative for Legionella.”

Mark Dubovick, health services administrator for The Admiral at the Lake, released a similar statement: “We are taking precautionary steps as recommended by the Chicago Department of Public Health, Illinois Department of Public Health, and our water management consultant, Garratt Callahan. We are also following additional steps outlined in our Water Management Plan.”

The Admiral at the Lake resident who was sickened is receiving care at a local hospital. The condition of the two Balmoral residents was not released.

Chicago outbreak: symptoms

If you are a resident, an employee of, or are a recent visitor to the Balmoral Nursing Home or The Admiral at the Lake and are feeling flu- or pneumonia-like symptoms, you should seek care from your health-care provider. Symptoms often can be mistaken for the common flu, and they usually develop two to 10 days after exposure to Legionella.

Initial symptoms include:

  • headaches
  • muscle pains
  • chills
  • fever, which can be 104 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.

By the second or third day, symptoms can worsen to include:

  • cough, which can bring up mucus or blood
  • shortness of breath (dyspnea)
  • chest pains (pleurisy or pleuritis)
  • gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
  • confusion and other mental changes.
Chicago outbreak: high-risk groups

Although Legionnaires’ disease primarily affects the lungs, it occasionally can cause infections in wounds and other parts of the body, including the heart. Untreated, Legionnaires’ disease usually worsens during the first week, which is why early diagnosis is key to recovery.

A 2015 study by the CDC stated that “75 percent of (Legionnaires’ disease) acquired in health-care settings could be prevented with better water management.”

Most people exposed to Legionella do not get sick, but people 50 years old and older – especially those who smoke or have chronic lung conditions – are at a much higher risk.

Other people more susceptible to infection include:

  • recipients of organ transplants
  • individuals who are on specific drug protocols (corticosteroids, to name one)
  • heavy drinkers of alcoholic beverages.

This list also includes anyone with an immune system weakened by:

  • frequent and recurrent pneumonia, bronchitis, sinus infections, ear infections, meningitis or skin infections
  • organ inflammation and infection
  • blood disorders, such as low platelet counts or anemia
  • digestive problems, such as cramping, appetite loss, diarrhea, and nausea
  • delayed growth and development.

After Legionnaires’ disease has been diagnosed, hospitalization is often necessary. In the most severe cases, complications can include respiratory failure, kidney failure, septic shock, or even death.

Chicago outbreak: busy 2019 for city

There were numerous outbreaks in Chicago and its surrounding suburbs in 2019:

Elliot Olsen has regained millions for people harmed by Legionnaires’ disease. If you or a family member were sickened in one of these 2019 Legionnaires outbreaks, please call Elliot at (612) 337-6126 for a free consultation.

Legionnaires’ disease is a water-borne illness that’s seemingly setting new records year after the year in the United States – the types of records nobody wants to see.

While early reports indicate that Legionnaires cases in the U.S. were down 20 percent in 2019, there were numerous eye-opening outbreaks across the country, causing concern and raising awareness of the danger of Legionella, the bacteria that causes the disease.

An outbreak at an Atlanta hotel in June and July was the largest legionellosis outbreak in Georgia history. Then, in September, a North Carolina state fair recorded that state’s largest recorded outbreak, which also was the largest in the country this year.

(Note: Legionellosis is the collective term for diseases caused by Legionella bacteria – Legionnaires’ disease and Pontiac fever.)

North Carolina wasn’t the only state fair affected by an outbreak. A Texas state fair followed suit a couple weeks later. Both were traced back to hot tub displays.

Numerous outbreaks also were recorded at hospitals, including at five different Chicago-area hospitals.

2019 Legionnaires outbreaks: no slowdown

In 2018, there were 9,933 cases of Legionnaires’ disease, the most ever recorded in a single year since the disease was first identified in 1976, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The incident rate may be much higher, however, because Legionnaires’ disease is underdiagnosed because of its vague symptoms (which resemble other types of pneumonia, and even flu). The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine estimates that as many as 70,000 people suffer from the disease each year. Dr. Paul Edelstein, a researcher from the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, estimated that more than 100,000 cases of Legionnaires’ disease could be occurring each year.

2019 Legionnaires outbreaks: state fairs

One of the year’s biggest spotlights shined on state fairs after hot tub displays were believed to be responsible:

  • North Carolina: Four deaths and 142 cases of legionellosis (134 Legionnaires’ disease; 8 Pontiac Fever) were linked to the WNC Mountain State Fair, Sept. 6-15 in Fletcher.
  • Texas: One death and eight cases of Legionnaires’ disease were confirmed and linked to the East Texas State Fair, Sept. 20-29 in Tyler.

The CDC issued an advisory to physicians and public health practitioners in November, alerting them that hot tub displays at temporary events pose a risk for Legionnaires’ disease. “Event planners and hot tub vendors should know about the risk that hot tubs pose when not maintained adequately, even if the hot tub is for display only,” the advisory warned.

2019 Legionnaires outbreaks: hospitals

Health-care facilities usually serve a population at highest risk for infection from water contaminated with Legionella. Such facilities typically have complex water systems that, if not properly maintained, promote bacterial growth.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the CDC consider it essential that health-care facilities have an extensive water-management program to deal with Legionella and other waterborne pathogens.

Even with such oversight, however, outbreaks at health-care facilities still make headlines:

  • Ohio: A Legionnaires’ disease outbreak at Mount Carmel Grove City hospital was traced to the hot water system and likely was the result of inadequate disinfection, the health system’s Michigan-based parent company Trinity Health said. There were 16 cases, including two deaths, at the suburban Columbus hospital a little more than a month after the seven-floor, $361 million hospital opened April 28. In late October, a second Mount Carmel Health System hospital in the Columbus area confirmed an outbreak when three patients were diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease at Mount Carmel East.
  • Michigan: Health officials probed McLaren Macomb Hospital, a Macomb County hospital in Mt. Clemens, after seven cases of Legionnaires’ disease were connected to the hospital between July and mid-September.
  • Illinois: Twelve residents of the Covenant Living at Holmstad retirement home in Batavia were confirmed with Legionnaires’ disease. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) identified a construction site nearby as the likely source of Legionella. (Two neighbors also were diagnosed with the respiratory illness.) Just last month, the IDPH and DuPage County Health Department announced they were investigating after three patients were sickened at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, about 34 miles west of the Chicago Loop. It was the fifth hospital in the state investigated in 2019:
2019 Legionnaires outbreaks: hotels

While health-care facilities are required to bolster oversight of water systems and medical equipment, there is little regulatory oversight of hotels, apartments, and other non-medical buildings.

“There aren’t a lot of people checking up on a hotel, a condominium or a large building,” said Elliot Olsen, who has filed Legionnaires lawsuits on behalf of patients and their families for more than two decades. “I am not aware of any oversight really at any level.”

Incidents of differing scales illustrate that these events can happen anywhere – big cities (Atlanta, with a population of almost 500,000) or small (Crookston, Minnesota, with a population of about 8,000):

  • Atlanta: The Sheraton Atlanta was confirmed as the source of an outbreak after Legionella bacteria were found. There were 13 lab-confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease, including one death, and 66 probable cases of Legionnaires’ disease related to the outbreak.
  • Minnesota: Four visitors were diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease after visiting Crookston Inn and Convention Center last January.

Elliot Olsen has regained millions of dollars for people harmed by Legionnaires’ disease. If you or a family member were sickened in this Central DuPage Hospital outbreak, please call Elliot at (612) 337-6126 for a free consultation.

Public health officials are investigating whether Central DuPage Hospital in suburban Chicago is the source for three cases of Legionnaires’ disease diagnosed at the hospital.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and DuPage County Health Department (DCHD) investigators are seeking the source of Legionella bacteria that sickened three patients who were treated at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, about 34 miles west of the Chicago Loop.

A person contracts Legionella by inhaling microscopic water droplets in the form of mist or vapor. Legionella thrive in warm water and are found primarily in human-made environments, such as:

  • water systems of large buildings (hospitals, nursing homes, hotels, etc.)
  • large plumbing systems
  • air-conditioning system cooling towers
  • hot-water heaters and tanks
  • bathroom showers and faucets
  • swimming pools
  • whirlpools and hot tubs
  • physical-therapy equipment
  • mist machines and hand-held sprayers
  • decorative fountains.
Central DuPage Hospital: measures taken

While the hospital is possibly to blame for the infections, “[the patients] also had other possible sources of exposure during the 10 days before they started showing symptoms,” according to an IDPH press release.

One of the cases involved an individual admitted to the hospital, while two others were treated as outpatients. The conditions of the three patients was not released, nor was information on the timing of their diagnoses.

The hospital is taking precautionary measures, including treating its water system and flushing its plumbing to remove any possible Legionella.

“Central DuPage Hospital is working with IDPH to strengthen its water-management plan and implement multiple control measures,” the IDPH statement read.

IDPH officials said they are planning another on-site visit to test the facility’s water.

“We are working closely with IDPH while also conducting an internal review to determine if these cases are related to hospital services,” Northwestern Medicine spokesperson Christopher King said in a statement. “The safety and health of our patients is our top priority. We will have no additional comments until the review is completed.”

Central DuPage Hospital – an acute-care facility with 390 beds – is one of seven hospitals operated by Northwestern Medicine.

Central DuPage Hospital: symptoms

While the risk of developing Legionnaires’ disease is low for most people, anyone with a chronic underlying condition is at an increased risk.

Out of an abundance of caution, you should seek care from your health-care provider if you are or were a patient at Central Dupage Hospital, an employee of, or recent visitor to the hospital and are feeling flu- or pneumonia-like symptoms.

Symptoms often can be mistaken for the common flu, and they usually develop two to 10 days after exposure to Legionella. Initial symptoms usually include:

  • headaches
  • muscle pains
  • chills
  • fever, which can be 104 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.

By the second or third day, symptoms can worsen to include:

  • cough, which can bring up mucus or blood
  • shortness of breath (also known as dyspnea)
  • chest pains (also known as pleurisy or pleuritis)
  • gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
  • confusion and other mental changes.

Legionellosis is the collective term for the two diseases caused by Legionella bacteria: Legionnaires’ disease, which is also called Legionella pneumonia, and Pontiac fever, a less-severe illness.

Although Legionnaires’ disease primarily affects the lungs, it occasionally can cause infections in wounds and other parts of the body, including the heart.

Central DuPage Hospital: vague diagnosis

Legionnaires’ disease is a severe type of pneumonia or lung infection. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 25,000 cases of pneumonia due to Legionella bacteria (Legionella pneumophila) occur in the United States every year, but because of the disease’s nonspecific symptoms, only 5,000 of those cases are reported.

Anyone can develop the disease, but those at the greatest risk of infection include:

  • people 50 or older
  • smokers (current or former)
  • heavy drinkers of alcoholic beverages
  • people with chronic lung disease
  • people with weakened immune systems.

After Legionnaires’ disease has been diagnosed, hospitalization is often necessary. In the most severe cases, complications can occur; they include:

  • respiratory failure: caused by changes to the lung tissue, or oxygen loss in arteries supplying the lungs.
  • septic shock: this can occur when Legionella produce toxins that enter the blood stream and cause a drop in blood pressure, leading to loss of adequate blood supply to the organs.
  • kidney failure: those same Legionella toxins can damage the kidneys’ ability to eliminate waste from the blood, resulting in kidney failure.
  • endocarditis: an infection of the inner lining of the heart that can affect the ability of the heart to maintain adequate blood flow through the body.
  • pericarditis: swelling of the pericardium, which is the primary membrane around the heart. This can also affect the ability of the heart to circulate blood throughout the body.
Central DuPage Hospital: Chicago woes

The end of 2019 can’t come fast enough for Illinois hospitals. Central DuPage is the fifth hospital this year to deal with a Legionnaires’ outbreak. Previously, four other Chicago-area hospitals were investigated by the IDPH:

Sick with Legionnaires’ disease? Call (612) 337-6126
Elliot Olsen has regained millions of dollars for people who were injured by Legionnaires’ disease. If you or a family member feel like you should take part in one of these Sugar Hill Project lawsuits, please call (612) 337-6126 for a free consultation.

More lawsuits have been filed against New York City’s Sugar Hill Project, a housing complex in Harlem whose cooling tower allegedly gave nearly 60 people Legionnaires’ disease in 2018.

According to the lawsuits filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, nine new plaintiffs said the Sugar Hill Project (898 St. Nicholas Avenue) had a contaminated cooling tower that spread water droplets that gave them Legionella bacteria and landed them in the hospital.

The plaintiffs are suing Sugar Hill’s parent company, Broadway Housing Communities Inc., and cooling tower company, Clarity Water Technologies LLC, for negligence for two 2018 outbreaks, one over the summertime in which 27 people were sickened, and the other in the fall, when 32 people became ill. Two victims died because of their illnesses, one in each outbreak.

Residents of the complex claim in the lawsuits that they experienced “significant impairment, hospitalization, complications, symptoms, and problems caused by Legionnaires’ disease,” which they continue “to experience to the present day.”

Sugar Hill Project lawsuits: 13 and counting

The plaintiffs’ lawyer is Scott Harford, who earlier this year filed three lawsuits in conjunction with Minneapolis attorney Elliot Olsen, one of the leading Legionnaires lawyers in the country.

Olsen told USA Today in a February 2019 article that, although hospitals and nursing homes are required to bolster oversight of building water systems and medical equipment, there is little to no regulatory oversight of the water systems in apartment complexes like the Sugar Hill Project.

“There’s not a lot of people checking up on a hotel, a condominium or a large building,” Olsen said. “I am not aware of any oversight really at any level.”

The nine lawsuits give Harford a total of 13 he has brought.

Sugar Hill Project lawsuits: ‘all necessary steps’

Broadway Housing Communities did not return a request to comment, but Michael Shalhoub, a lawyer for Clarity Water Technologies, said, “Our client takes seriously the health risks posed by Legionella. We are confident that our client has taken all necessary steps to protect the public from these risks, and we are prepared to defend the claims made against it in court.”

Sugar Hill Project lawsuits: disease info

Legionnaires’ disease – also called legionellosis and Legionella pneumonia – is a severe type of pneumonia or lung infection. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 25,000 cases of pneumonia due to Legionella bacteria (Legionella pneumophila) occur every year, but only 5,000 cases are reported because of the disease’s nonspecific symptoms (see below).

Additionally, 10 percent of LD victims will die from the infection.

Legionella are contracted by inhaling microscopic water droplets in the form of mist or vapor. The bacteria grow best in warm water, and they are found primarily in human-made environments.

In addition to cooling towers and the water systems of large buildings, LD outbreaks have been linked to a range of other sources, including:

  • decorative fountains
  • hot tubs, whirlpools and swimming pools at fitness centers and on cruise ships
  • hot water tanks and heaters
  • showers and faucets
  • equipment used in physical therapy
  • mist machines in the produce sections of grocery stores.
Sugar Hill Project lawsuits: cooling towers

Cooling towers contain large amounts of water and are potential breeding grounds for Legionella when they are not properly disinfected and maintained. Water within cooling towers is heated via heat exchange, which is an ideal environment for heat-loving Legionella.

‘‘Legionella is in water supplies at low levels, but it amplifies at certain temperatures,” Olsen told Bloomberg Law in an August 2018 article. “If chlorine levels drop below a certain level, then Legionella proliferates.’’

As the cooling tower moves air through a recirculated water system, it releases a “considerable amount of water vapor” into the atmosphere. If that water contains Legionella, people can contract LD by inhaling that vapor.

Sugar Hill Project lawsuits: disease symptoms

LD symptoms look like other forms of pneumonia or even flu, which is why so many cases go unreported. Early symptoms can include the following:

  • severe headaches
  • muscle aches
  • fever (sometimes 104 degrees or higher)
  • chills
  • loss of appetite.

After the first few days, symptoms can worsen to include:

  • chest pain when breathing (called pleuritic chest pain, due to inflamed lungs)
  • shortness of breath (dyspnea)
  • confusion and agitation
  • a cough, which may bring up mucus and/or blood
  • gastrointestinal problems (nausea, diarrhea, vomiting), which occur in about one-third of LD cases.

Elliot Olsen has regained millions of dollars for people harmed by Legionnaires’ disease. If you or a family member contracted Legionnaires at an Arkansas senior residence, please call Elliot at (612) 337-6126 for a free consultation.

The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) said test results from water samples at an Arkansas senior residence revealed the existence of live Legionella bacteria.

Testing was ordered after two tenants at the Garland Towers & Garden Apartments were diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease, the waterborne form of pneumonia caused by Legionella. Older individuals, who make up the majority of tenants at the senior residence, are more susceptible to the illness.

Anyone can contract Legionnaires’ disease, a potentially deadly respiratory illness, but those at the most significant risk of infection include:

  • people 50 or older
  • smokers (current or former)
  • heavy drinkers of alcoholic beverages
  • people with chronic lung disease
  • people with weakened immune systems.

The Garland Towers & Garden Apartments at 126 Oriole Street is a low-income housing apartment for seniors subsidized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Arkansas senior residence: bacteria ‘alive’

Preliminary testing indicated the presence of the bacteria, but the recent positive result confirmed their viability – that is, alive and capable of being the cause of the illnesses.

“We did six samples, and two of them got a colony, which means there was at least one organism in the sample,” Dr. Jennifer Dillaha, ADH medical director for immunizations, told the Hot Springs Sentinel-Record. “That’s a very low number, but in this setting, where you have a lot of people with risk factors in the building, it’s concerning. We can’t prove (the diagnosed cases) got Legionella from the building, but it’s entirely possible that they did. ”

Hot Springs’ residents have accounted for 10 of the 52 cases diagnosed in Arkansas since the start of the year, according to the ADH.

Last month, the National Park Service Office of Public Health recommended all building owners/lessees in the Hot Springs National Park discontinue using showers connected to thermal water sources after Legionella bacteria were detected at Quapaw Baths & Spa. The decision was made after three cases of Legionnaires’ disease were confirmed in out-of-town visitors to the spa; one of the three victims died.

Arkansas senior residence: plan implemented

Dillaha said Belmont Management Co., the Garland Towers landlord, agreed to the department’s recommendations, including commissioning a water-management plan. The program would focus on the building’s boiler, common breeding grounds for Legionella.

“There’s other places in Arkansas and around the United States that have these types of complex water systems,” Dillaha said. “The most important thing is the need for a water-management plan. They need to contract with a company that can do a thorough assessment of the building and make recommendations specific to the building on handling water.”

Hospitals and nursing homes are required to bolster oversight of building water systems and medical equipment that could expose patients to harmful Legionella bacteria. There is, however, little regulatory oversight of apartments, hotels, and other non-medical buildings.

“There’s not a lot of people checking up on a hotel, a condominium or a large building,” Legionnaires lawyer Elliot Olsen said. “I am not aware of any oversight really at any level.”

Arkansas senior residence: disease info

Legionnaires’ disease is not contagious – that is, it cannot be passed from person to person. The condition is treatable with antibiotics, but it must be diagnosed early. If that does not occur, it can lead to severe complications.

“The antibiotics can really help,” Dillaha said. “I think it’s important for people to know if they have the risk factors that they communicate that with their doctor if they get sick. Then the right test can be ordered, and it can be diagnosed early.”

Symptoms – which usually develop two to 10 days after exposure to Legionella – mimic those of pneumonia and even common flu. Along with cough, fever, and shortness of breath (dyspnea), other symptoms to be concerned about include:

  • headaches
  • muscle pains
  • chills
  • chest pains (called pleurisy or pleuritis)
  • gastrointestinal problems, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
  • confusion and other mental changes.

Legionnaires’ disease often is overlooked or undiagnosed because of its vague symptoms, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says.

Elliot Olsen has regained millions of dollars for people harmed by Legionnaires’ disease. If you or a family member were sickened in this Round Barn Lodge outbreak, please call Elliot at (612) 337-6126 for a free consultation.

Round Barn Lodge, a popular Wisconsin motel in Spring Green, has been temporarily closed because of a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak, according to WKOW 27 TV.

The motel voluntarily ceased operations after the Sauk County Health Department (SCHD) confirmed the pneumonia-like illness in two guests who stayed at the lodge.

While it has yet to be definitively determined that the pair were sickened at the lodge, both contracted their diseases within 10 to 14 days of their stay at the lodge. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the typical incubation period for Legionnaires’ disease is two to 10 days, but can be as long as 16 days.

Legionnaires’ disease is also known as legionellosis or Legionella pneumonia. The most common form of transmission of Legionella is the inhalation of contaminated aerosols produced in conjunction with water sprays, jets, or mists. Infection can also occur by aspiration of contaminated water or ice, particularly in susceptible hospital patients.

Legionellosis is the collective term for the two diseases caused by Legionella bacteria: Legionnaires’ disease (most serious) and Pontiac fever.

Round Barn Lodge outbreak: officials react

“There is nothing more important to us than the safety of our guests and colleagues,” Red Barn Lodge officials wrote in a news release.

Motel officials confirmed that they had written all past guests about the outbreak, including information supplied by the SCHD.

The lodge hired Phigenics, an independent water-management company, to test for Legionella; resolve water-quality problems, if they exist; and implement a safe water program.

Round Barn Lodge also implemented the following precautions:

  • Water was retested by Phigenics.
  • The motel and its banquet hall were closed.
  • All reservations were cancelled.

All staff members were placed on paid leave until the investigation is completed, and the facility has been given a clean bill of health.

Spring Green is approximately 30 miles west of Madison in southwestern Wisconsin on U.S. Hwy. 14. Round Barn Lodge’s address is E4830 U.S. Hwy. 14.

Round Barn Lodge outbreak: symptoms

If you lodged at, are an employee of, or are a recent visitor to the Round Barn Lodge and are feeling flu- or pneumonia-like symptoms, you should seek care from your health-care provider. Symptoms often can be mistaken for the common flu.

Even if you’ve already recovered, and were not diagnosed with legionellosis, informing your physician that you spent time at the motel is recommended. The disease is often overlooked or undiagnosed, leading to the condition being underreported, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

For the disease to be classified correctly, specific testing and diagnosis must be done from a Legionnaires’ disease standpoint, and those tests are often not ordered. It’s not required for physicians to order Legionella-specific testing when a patient presents with pneumonia.

Initial symptoms include:

  • headaches
  • muscle pains
  • chills
  • fever, which can be 104 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.

By the second or third day, symptoms can worsen to include:

  • cough, which can bring up mucus or blood
  • shortness of breath, also called dyspnea
  • chest pains, also called pleurisy or pleuritis
  • gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
  • confusion and other mental changes.

Although Legionnaires’ disease primarily affects the lungs, it occasionally can cause infections in wounds and other parts of the body, including the heart. Untreated Legionnaires’ disease usually worsens during the first week, which is why early diagnosis is key to recovery.

Round Barn Lodge outbreak: high-risk groups 

According to the CDC, an estimated 25,000 cases of pneumonia due to Legionella bacteria (Legionella pneumophila) occur in the United States every year. Anyone can contract the disease, but those at the greatest risk of infection include:

  • people 50 or older
  • smokers (current or former)
  • heavy drinkers of alcoholic beverages
  • people with chronic lung disease
  • people with weakened immune systems.

After Legionnaires’ disease has been diagnosed, hospitalization is often necessary. In the most severe cases, complications can occur; they include:

  • respiratory failure: caused by changes to the lung tissue, or oxygen loss in arteries supplying the lungs.
  • septic shock: this can occur when Legionella produces toxins that enter the bloodstream and cause a drop in blood pressure, leading to the loss of adequate blood supply to the organs.
  • kidney failure: those same Legionella toxins can damage the kidneys’ ability to eliminate waste from the blood, resulting in kidney failure.
  • endocarditis: an infection of the inner lining of the heart that can affect the ability of the heart to maintain adequate blood flow through the body.
  • pericarditis: swelling of the pericardium, which is the primary membrane around the heart. This can also affect the ability of the heart to circulate blood throughout the body.
Round Barn Lodge outbreak: Wisconsin woes 

The Round Barn Lodge is not the only Wisconsin destination that has had to deal with Legionella recently. Hotels and resorts around the state have seen their share of issues with the sometimes-deadly bacteria over the past two years:

  • In August, the Rodeway Inn & Suites in Tomahawk in northern Wisconsin temporarily closed its doors for five days for remediation after a second Legionnaires case was confirmed within 12 months.
  • The SCHD investigated Christmas Mountain Village – a golf and ski resort in the Wisconsin Dell, 45 miles northeast of Spring Green – after three cases of the disease, including one fatality, were reported within 12 months. The first was confirmed in November 2017 and two more in October 2018.
  • The Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake in northeastern Wisconsin dealt with a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in 2018 after four guests were sickened with the disease, one in March and three others in August. Two of 72 locations at the resort – a men’s restroom near an indoor pool and a cooling tower – tested positive for elevated levels of Legionella.

Elliot Olsen has regained millions of dollars for people harmed by Legionnaires’ disease. If you or a family member were sickened in this East Texas outbreak, please call Elliot at (612) 337-6126 for a free consultation.

An eighth case of Legionnaires’ disease has been linked to the East Texas State Fair, the Northeast Texas Health District (NET Health) announced. One person has died in the outbreak.

NET Health announced that all eight people confirmed with the disease visited the fair.

The new case was one of five possible cases of the illness that were being monitored from the East Texas State Fair, which was held Sept. 20-29 in Tyler; the other four cases have been cleared. No information was released about the most recent victim.

East Texas outbreak: focus on convention center

There is renewed interest in the Harvey Convention Center as the possible source for the Legionella bacteria, which causes Legionnaires’ disease. The convention center initially was ruled out after testing was negative for Legionella.

However, after it was learned that the victim who died had volunteered at the Smith County Democratic Party’s information booth in the convention center, the investigation’s spotlight returned to the building.

NET Health retested the facility and sent environmental samples to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta for testing. Those results are pending.

East Texas outbreak: source sought

Legionella are naturally found in water, especially warm water. All possible sources inside the Harvey Convention Center are being reinvestigated, including the ventilation system, potable water sources, humidifiers, and vendors stationed inside the building.

One vendor being scrutinized is a hot tub vendor who was located near the information booth.

East Texas outbreak: hot tubs

At September’s Mountain State Fair in Fletcher, North Carolina, a hot tub display was the source of a legionellosis outbreak in which four people died and 139 were sickened – 134 with Legionnaires’ disease and five with Pontiac fever, the weaker of the two legionellosis diseases.

Hot tubs (or spas) that are not cleaned and disinfected often enough can become contaminated with Legionella, and a person can become infected when they breathe in steam or mist from a contaminated hot tub.

Because high water temperatures make it hard to maintain the disinfectant levels needed to kill germs like Legionella, making sure the hot tub has the right disinfectant and pH levels is essential, according to the CDC.

East Texas outbreak: numerous possibilities

Other human-made environments in which Legionella can be found include:

  • air-conditioning system cooling towers
  • large plumbing systems
  • water systems of large buildings (hospitals, nursing homes, hotels, etc.)
  • hot-water heaters and tanks
  • bathroom showers and faucets
  • swimming pools
  • physical-therapy equipment
  • mist machines and hand-held sprayers
  • decorative fountains.
East Texas outbreak: new case risk low

NET Health said there is no risk to attendees of future events at Harvey Convention Center or the surrounding area.

“NET Health has identified no evidence of any public health risk that would interrupt current or future events from occurring at Harvey Hall and its neighboring properties,” according to a NET Health statement. “Attendance at previous, upcoming or future events at Harvey Hall do not mean that a person has contracted or will contract the Legionella bacteria.”

The statement also reiterated that the department is continuing to communicate with vendors who were in Harvey Convention Center, as well as attendees who were close to the eight people diagnosed with the disease.

Terrence Ates, public information officer for NET Health, said the department is committed to “definitively identifying the exact source of our local Legionella cases, yet we ask everyone to exercise patience with the scientific process of testing and confirming the exact source of contamination.”

Testing for the potability and safety of public water supplies and distribution systems is required by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and performed by the local health department.

If you have questions concerning Legionnaires’ disease, call the Disease Surveillance Division at NET Health at (903) 595-1350.

East Texas outbreak: seek advice if ill

If you attended or worked at the East Texas State Fair and exhibited Legionnaires’ disease symptoms (see below), NET Health urges you to contact your health-care provider.

The disease is not contagious – that is, it cannot be passed from person to person – and it is treatable with antibiotics if diagnosed early enough. If that does not occur, however, it can lead to severe complications.

East Texas outbreak: disease symptoms

Legionnaires’ disease is a severe type of pneumonia or lung infection that – according to the CDC – is contracted by an estimated 25,000 Americans yearly. However, because of its nonspecific symptoms, only 5,000 cases are reported.

Symptoms – which usually develop two to 10 days after exposure to Legionella – mimic those of pneumonia and even common flu. Along with cough, fever, and shortness of breath (dyspnea), other symptoms to be concerned about include:

  • headaches
  • muscle pains
  • chills
  • chest pains (called pleurisy or pleuritis)
  • gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
  • confusion and other mental changes.

Elliot Olsen has regained millions of dollars for people harmed by Legionnaires’ disease. If you or a family member were sickened in this East Texas fair outbreak, please call Elliot at (612) 337-6126 for a free consultation.

The search continues for the source of a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in East Texas that has claimed the life of one victim who was sickened with the deadly respiratory illness.

The outbreak’s ground zero has been determined to be the East Texas State Fair, which was held Sept. 20-29 in Tyler. All 12 people who took ill – seven were diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease, and five had symptoms consistent with the disease – all attended the fair.

Ruben Gutierrez of Flint passed away from complications of the illness. Gutierrez, 69, volunteered at the Smith County Democratic Party’s information booth in the Harvey Convention Center on the fairgrounds. He staffed the booth each day of the fair.

The information booth was stationed near a hot tub display in the Harvey Convention Center, and also positioned under an air conditioning vent. Both are possible breeding grounds for Legionella, the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease.

East Texas fair outbreak: hot tubs again?

If the Legionella source is determined to be a hot tub, it would make the East Texas event the second state fair in three months to fall prey to a contaminated hot tub.

At September’s Mountain State Fair in Fletcher, North Carolina, a hot tub display was the source of a legionellosis outbreak that killed four people and infected 142 – 134 with Legionnaires and eight with Pontiac fever.

(Note: Legionellosis is the collective term for the two diseases caused by Legionella bacteria – Legionnaires’ disease and its much weaker sibling, Pontiac fever, which does not affect the lungs.)

East Texas fair outbreak: exhaustive testing

The Harvey Convention Center had been ruled out as a possible source after initial testing, but the ventilation system has been re-tested.

“We don’t want to leave anything out (as a source to be tested) and are doing our due diligence,” Terrance Ates, Northeast Texas Public Health (NET Health) spokesperson told the Tyler Morning Telegraph. “We are testing every potential exposure site. All buildings on the fairgrounds and any other possible water sources, including those possibly generated by food and display vendors.”

The collection of environmental samples has been completed, Ates said, but there is no timetable as to when results will be released.

East Texas fair outbreak: in and out of hospital

NET Health CEO George Roberts confirmed that Gutierrez was one of the seven people with Legionnaires’ disease in the outbreak.

After his initial treatment, Gutierrez developed sepsis and other complications, including kidney failure, according to his wife, Susan Gutierrez, causing him to spend half of October in Tyler’s Christus Trinity Mother France Hospital.

Ruben Gutierrez bounced back and was released from the hospital in mid-October, but then he suffered setbacks and was readmitted to the hospital before passing away last week.

Susan Gutierrez said she was told the source of her husband’s contamination was unknown.

“They said it was something in the fair, but he was there every day,” she told the Tyler Morning Telegraph. “It could have been the A/C; it could have been the hot tubs or (something else).”

East Texas fair outbreak: oversight essential

Legionella is naturally found in water, especially warm water. Hot tubs (or spas) that are not cleaned and disinfected often enough can become contaminated with the bacteria, and a person can become infected when they breathe in steam or mist from a contaminated hot tub.

Because high water temperatures make it hard to maintain the disinfectant levels needed to kill germs like Legionella, making sure the hot tub has the right disinfectant and pH levels is essential, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Other human-made environments in which Legionella are found include:

  • air-conditioning system cooling towers
  • large plumbing systems
  • water systems of large buildings (hospitals, nursing homes, hotels, etc.)
  • hot-water heaters and tanks
  • bathroom showers and faucets
  • swimming pools
  • physical-therapy equipment
  • mist machines and hand-held sprayers
  • decorative fountains.
East Texas fair outbreak: seek care if sick

If you attended or worked at the East Texas State Fair and are exhibiting Legionnaires’ disease symptoms (see below), NET Health urges you to seek care from your health-care provider.

The disease is not contagious – that is, it cannot be passed from person to person – and it is treatable with antibiotics if diagnosed early enough. If that does not occur, however, it can lead to severe complications.

East Texas fair outbreak: symptoms

Legionnaires’ disease is a severe type of pneumonia or lung infection that – according to the CDC – is contracted by an estimated 25,000 Americans yearly. However, because of its nonspecific symptoms, only 5,000 cases are reported.

Symptoms – which usually develop two to 10 days after exposure to Legionella – mimic those of pneumonia and even the common flu. Along with cough, fever, and shortness of breath (dyspnea), other symptoms to be concerned about include:

  • headaches
  • muscle pains
  • chills
  • chest pains (called pleurisy or pleuritis)
  • gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
  • confusion and other mental changes.

Elliot Olsen has regained millions of dollars for people harmed by Legionnaires’ disease. If you or a family member contracted Legionnaires in this Chemung County outbreak, please call Elliot at (612) 337-6126 for a free consultation.

Health departments have identified one of the sources in a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak that sickened 13 people in Chemung County in southern New York, near the Pennsylvania border.

Legionella, the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease, was found in testing samples from a cooling tower at Elmira Heat Treating Inc. in Elmira that infected four of the 13 sickened. The announcement was made by the New York State Department of Health (NYS DOH), working collaboratively with the Chemung County Health Department (CCHD).

WNEY News reported that of the 13 victims, nine were part of the same cluster, and four were separate cases, including one that was confirmed at the Chemung County Nursing Facility. All of those sickened are recovering, according to the CCHD, although the department did not say whether any of the patients required hospitalization.

Chemung County outbreak: Cluster? Outbreak?

The term “cluster” is used if multiple cases of Legionnaires’ disease are linked in time and space but no common source is found. The term “outbreak” is used if a common source is found for the illnesses.

Additionally, the World Health Organization defines an “outbreak” as the “occurrence of cases of disease in excess of what would normally be expected in a defined community, geographical area or season.” This is why this cluster can now be categorized as an outbreak.

Chemung County outbreak: specimens matched

Testing at the NYS DOH’s Wadsworth Center discovered the Legionella specimens from Elmira Heat Treating’s cooling towers were a molecular match to the bacteria found in samples of four of the 13 patients diagnosed in the outbreak. All four were reported to live in the same Elmira neighborhood.

State and county health departments collected samples in the homes of those sickened and from cooling towers in proximity to determine whether there was a common point of exposure.

The inspection revealed that one of Elmira Heat Treating’s three cooling towers has a history of bacterial growth. Still, testing of that tower earlier in the year was within “state acceptable levels” for Legionella. It was not confirmed whether that tower was the same one that tested positive.

The tower infected with the Legionella was taken offline and underwent remediation efforts, including deep cleaning and decontamination.

Elmira Heat Treating Inc. (407 South Kinyon Street) provides heat-treating and metallurgical consulting services.

Chemung County outbreak: towers a usual suspect

Cooling towers are a common culprit in Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks because they contain large amounts of water and are potential breeding grounds for Legionella, if they are not properly disinfected and maintained. Water within cooling towers is heated via heat exchange, which creates an ideal environment for heat-loving Legionella to multiply.

As the cooling tower moves air through a recirculated water system, it releases a “considerable amount of water vapor” into the atmosphere, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). If that water vapor contains Legionella, people can develop Legionnaires’ disease, which is contracted when people inhale microscopic aerosolized water droplets (vapor or mist).

Chemung County outbreak: oversight needed

Hospitals and nursing homes are required to bolster oversight of building water systems and medical equipment that could expose patients to harmful Legionella, but there is little regulatory oversight of apartments, hotels, and other non-medical buildings, such as Elmira Heat Treating.

“There’s not a lot of people checking up on a hotel, a condominium or a large building,” said Elliot Olsen, who has filed Legionnaires lawsuits on behalf of patients and their families for more than two decades. “I am not aware of any oversight really at any level.”

Chemung County outbreak: disease symptoms

Legionnaires’ disease is a severe type of pneumonia or lung infection. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 25,000 cases of pneumonia due to Legionella bacteria (Legionella pneumophila) occur in the United States every year. However, because of the disease’s nonspecific signs and symptoms, only 5,000 cases are reported.

Legionnaires – also known as legionellosis or Legionella pneumonia – usually develops two to 10 days after exposure to Legionella. It frequently begins with the following symptoms:

  • headache
  • muscle pain
  • chills
  • fever, which can be 104 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.

By the second or third day, other symptoms generally develop, including:

  • cough, which can bring up mucus and sometimes blood
  • shortness of breath
  • chest pain
  • gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
  • confusion and other mental changes.

Although Legionnaires’ disease primarily affects the lungs, it occasionally can cause infections in wounds and other parts of the body, including the heart.

A mild form of Legionnaires’ disease — known as Pontiac fever — can produce similar symptoms, such as fever, chills, headaches, and muscle aches. Pontiac fever, however, doesn’t infect the lungs.