PEKIN, Ill. — A resident of UAW Senior Citizens Center in Pekin is dead after contracting Legionnaires’ Disease, according to news partner 25 News.
Another individual who lives at UAW contracted the disease and was recently released from the hospital, according to Manager Donald Bly.
Tazewell County has been seeing cases of Legionnaires’ Disease in the county since July of this year.
Legionnaires’ disease is a very serious type of pneumonia caused by a bacteria in water droplets. The bacteria, Legionella, lives in fresh water and rarely causes illness. However, Legionella can grow if water is not properly maintained.
“Symptoms for Legionnaires’ disease can include cough, shortness of breath, muscle aches, headaches and fever,” said Tazewell County Health Department Communications Manager Sara Sparkman.
Sparkman said a lot of the common sources of Legionnaires’ disease is showers, fountains and hot tubs.
Bly told 25 News they are working directly with the Illinois Department of Public Health to navigate the problem and keep an outbreak from happening.
To permanently fix the problem, Bly said they need a filtration system for the water coming into the building. Engineers are working on the filtration system, but it could take 60 days for it to be operative.
To determine if someone does have the disease, a chest X-Ray is done to see if pneumonia is present, according to Sparkman. If it is present, then a doctor may order tests on a sample of urine to see if the infection is caused by Legionella.
Most people who get sick need care in a hospital but make a full recovery. However, about 1 in 10 people who get Legionnaires’ disease will die from the infection, according to the CDC.
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