12 cases of Legionnaires’ now reported at Batavia retirement home

Four more cases of Legionnaires’ disease have been reported at a retirement home in west suburban Batavia, bringing the total to 12 confirmed cases.

The new cases were confirmed Wednesday at Covenant Living at the Holmstad and reported to both Kane County and the Illinois Department of Public Health, according to Amanda Gosnell, Executive Director of Covenant Living.

“As we continue to partner with IDPH in the investigation of the campus to search for any other risk points, we are pursuing all possible interventions to protect resident and employee safety and well-being,” Gosnell said.

The first four cases of Legionnaires’ at Covenant Living, 700 W. Fabyan Pkwy., were announced Aug. 31 by the Kane County Health Department. On Sept. 9, the Health Department announced four more cases, bringing the total to eight.

A spokesperson for the Kane County Health Department could not be reached Wednesday for comment on the new cases.

“We await more thorough results from the state testing and pray that a source can, if at all, be identified, either on or off our campus,” Gosnell said.

Legionella bacteria are transmitted through water droplets in the air and can cause serious lung infections and death. Illinois saw 512 reported cases of Legionnaires’ disease statewide in 2018, with 219 confirmed so far this year, the Health Department said.