COLUMBUS – The Delaware General Health District is investigating a confirmed case of Legionnaires’ disease in a nursing home there.
The disease, which recently affected several patients at Mount Carmel Grove City hospital, causing one death, was recently contracted by a resident at Country-View of Sunbury nursing home, health district spokeswoman Megan Edwards said.
The district’s environmental health division staff and a certified plumbing inspector have visited the site to identify possible sources of the bacteria, conducted environmental sampling for Legionella bacteria and recommended strategies to prevent further transmission, Edwards said.
Officials with the agency and the nursing home are working to identify additional residents for testing.
The facility has implemented water use restrictions to reduce exposure while showering and washing hands and to minimize exposure to aerosols, such as faucets and showerheads, Edwards said.
Legionnaires’ disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by the Legionella bacterium and is often associated with large or complex water systems that are usually found in hospitals, nursing homes or hotels.