2 Legionnaires’ cases reported at Mercy Hospital: officials

SHARE 2 Legionnaires’ cases reported at Mercy Hospital: officials
screen_shot_2018_06_25_at_5_47_40_pm_e1529966896742_1_e1556318687207.png

Mercy Hospital | Google Maps

Public health officials are investigating two cases of Legionnaires’ disease in patients who were possibly exposed to the bacteria while at Mercy Hospital.

The Illinois and Chicago departments of public health were at the hospital Thursday to evaluate the building’s water system for possible Legionella bacteria in order to determine its source, officials said in a statement.

The investigation is limited to the hospital and there is no risk to the public, the state’s public health department said.

The conditions of the two patients were not released.

A spokeswoman for Mercy Hospital said the investigation was ongoing and that the source of the infections has not been determined.

Water samples to test for Legionella bacteria have been collected from the hospital, the officials said. The bacteria are transmitted through drops of water and can cause serious lung infections and possibly death. The bacteria mixes with the air in showers or fountains, and can cause illness when inhaled.

Mercy Hospital is working with the health departments to strengthen its water management practices, officials said. The hospital has begun flushing its water system, and will alter or replace water fixtures and place filters on sinks.

The hospital spokeswoman said the hospital “and its patients are safe.” Mercy Hospital has followed water management guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control, and fully supports the ongoing investigation, the spokeswoman said.

The Latest
Despite the addition of some new characters (human and otherwise) the film comes across as a relatively uninspired and fairly forgettable chapter in the Monsterverse saga.
Unite Here Local 1, representing the workers at the Signature Room and its lounge, said in a lawsuit in October the employer failed to give 60 days notice of a closing or mass layoff, violating state law.
Uecker has been synonymous with Milwaukee baseball for over half a century.
Doctors say looking at the April 8 eclipse without approved solar glasses — which are many times darker than sunglasses — can lead to retinal burns and can result in blind spots and permanent vision loss.
Antoine Perteet, 33, targeted victims on the dating app Grindr, according to Chicago police.