Sheriff's office says Cook County inmate has Legionnaires'
Posted July 12, 2016 7:00 am
CHICAGO (AP) - The Cook County Sheriff's Office says a jail inmate has tested positive for Legionnaires' disease in what appears to be an isolated case.
The office said in a statement Tuesday that a detainee who had been hospitalized since July 6 with pneumonia-like symptoms tested positive for the disease.
The statement says neither his cellmate nor other detainees or staff on his living unit or division have developed symptoms. But the office says some detainees will be moved out of an abundance of caution.
Legionnaires' disease is a pneumonia caused by bacteria in the lungs. People get sick if they inhale mist or vapor from contaminated water systems, hot tubs or cooling systems - typically in large buildings such as hospitals and hotels.
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