Source: Columbus Dispatch, July 2, 2019
Posted on: https://www.advisen.com
A resident of a Sunbury nursing home has been diagnosed with Legionnaires’ disease, the Delaware General Health District announced Tuesday.
The case involves a patient at the Country-View of Sunbury nursing home, the health district said. Beyond that, however, neither the health district nor the nursing home would answer questions about the condition of the person who contracted the disease, citing federal medical privacy law.
“Due to concerns regarding resident privacy, Country-View of Sunbury cannot provide any information related to resident diagnosis or treatment. The facility takes very seriously the health and safety of our residents and staff,” Clara Wukelich, a risk management clinician representing Country-View of Sunbury, said in an emailed statement.
The health district says its environmental division staff and a certified plumbing inspector have visited the nursing home to help identify possible sources and conducting sampling for the Legionella bacteria, recommending remediation strategies and determining which additional residents might need to be tested. The Ohio Department of Health is assisting in the investigation.
Water use restrictions are now in place to reduce exposure from shower heads and faucets, the health district said.
Legionella bacteria occurs naturally in complex water systems, like those in hospitals, nursing homes and hotels. People with compromised immune systems are susceptible to the bacteria, which can be contracted by breathing in small water droplets.
Legionnaires’ disease symptoms are similar to pneumonia and include cough, shortness of breath, fever, muscle aches and headaches.
At lest 16 people contracted Legionnaires’ disease in a recent outbreak at the newly opened Mount Carmel Grove City Hospital, including one Grove City woman who died. Some lawsuits have already been filed against Mount Carmel in connection with the outbreak.
One case of Legionnaires was also reported recently involving an inmate at the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction’s Franklin Medical Center.