Fourth case of Legionnaires' disease at Vernon Hills retirement complex

With common pneumonia symptoms such as high fever and chills, federal health officials say it can be difficult to diagnose Legionnaires' disease.

But state and Lake County health officials have been able to confirm four cases of Legionnaires' linked to The Park at Vernon Hills retirement community, which has about 260 residents. Officials announced the newest confirmed case Monday after three - two of them fatal - were reported last week.

Investigators from the Illinois Department of Public Health were at the facility Monday as part of an effort to determine the cause of the Legionnaires' disease. The bacterial infection is thought to have caused the death of two residents of The Park, 145 N. Milwaukee Ave.

Investigators have focused on the atrium area, which includes a pool, spa and waterfall, as the possible source of the bacteria, which thrives in warm water and is typically found in hot tubs or in water pooled in the air-conditioning units at large buildings. Legionnaires' disease is contracted by inhaling contaminated mist or vapor. It is not contagious nor transmitted from person to person.

Water samples were taken at The Park this weekend, but results won't be available for 10 to 14 days, officials said.

"We're basically doing some follow-up interviews with residents and so forth," public health department spokeswoman Melaney Arnold said.

No other cases of Legionnaires' disease are known in the state, Arnold said. The conditions of the two residents from the Vernon Hills retirement complex with the disease were not immediately available Monday.

One of the deaths occurred in September and the other became known when it was reported to the Lake County Health Department last week, officials said.

About 8,000 to 18,000 people are hospitalized each year with Legionnaires' disease in the United States, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, the agency states many infections are not diagnosed or reported, so the number of Legionnaires' disease cases may be higher.

Common signs of Legionnaires' disease include high fever, chills and a cough, according to the CDC. The agency says the disease should be under consideration whenever a patient has pneumonia.

In an effort to find the cause of the Legionnaires' disease at The Park, Arnold said multiple water samples were collected from aquatic elements of an 18,000-square-foot atrium with a swimming pool, rain forest, waterfall and spa. She said the state investigators have recommended the area remain closed for now.

Jane Woloson, executive director of The Park, said the facility has taken an extra step by hiring Evidence Based Solutions Inc. to perform an independent review of the atrium's system. The Naperville-based company specializes in detecting the cause of Legionella bacteria and prevention.

"We're doing everything we possibly can," Woloson said.

Legionnaires' disease was first officially recognized in 1976, when a pneumonia outbreak occurred at an American Legion convention in Philadelphia.

Last year, several people were diagnosed with Legionnaires' disease after using a hot tub in a McHenry County hotel.

Health officials say the disease is treatable with antibiotics, but it can be serious and cause death in up to 30 percent of cases.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=335048">Vernon Hills retirement community responds to Legionnaires' outbreak <span class="date">[11/08/09]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=334850">Legionnaires' disease investigated at Vernon Hills retirement home <span class="date">[11/06/09]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>