MANTENO, Ill. (WAND) – A resident has Legionnaires' disease at a second Illinois veterans' home, state leaders say.
The person who tested positive for the disease was living at Manteno Veterans’ Home, according to a release from the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs (IDVA). The department says it activated its water plan after hospital staff notified the home that the person has Legionnaire’s disease.
Leaders flushed and heat-treated the home’s potable water systems in response to the situation. All workers at the Manteno Veterans’ Home and its residents were notified Tuesday of the situation, along with the Power of Attorneys and next of kin of each person.
“We are taking every precaution necessary to protect our residents, staff and visitors at our Manteno home,” said IDVA Director Stephen Curda, Ph. D.
Legionnaires’ disease has killed 13 people at the Quincy Veterans’ Home since 2015. It can be contracted when a person inhales vapor from water that has Legionella bacteria in it.
