Legionella bacteria possibly at Illinois Capitol Complex

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Preliminary test results show the possible presence of Legionella bacteria in the Illinois Capitol Complex's hot water system, state officials said.

Officials said Monday they're not aware of any reports of Legionnaires' disease related to the water system. Experts at the Illinois Department of Public Health say the complex is safe for state employees to work, The (Springfield) State Journal-Register reported.

More testing is underway and results are expected in about 14 days. Legionnaires' is a severe form of pneumonia caused by water-borne bacteria.

"Out of an abundance of caution and because of heightened awareness and continued misconceptions about Legionnaires' disease, we want to make you aware of preliminary test results that indicate the possible presence of Legionella bacteria in the Capitol Complex hot water system," Deputy Gov. Trey Childress and Mike Wojcik, the secretary of state's director of physical spaces, wrote in a memo sent to state employees who work in the complex.

The Secretary of State's Office, which oversees the complex, ordered the test after a pipe burst in the nearby Illinois State Armory. The Armory's hot water system connects to all 14 buildings in the state Capitol complex. The office has disabled the few showers and removed faucet aerators in the complex.

The announcement comes as Illinois lawmakers prepare to meet again next month for a bipartisan hearing about a deadly Legionnaires' disease outbreak at a western Illinois veterans' home.

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Information from: The State Journal-Register, http://www.sj-r.com