New case of Legionnaires’ disease reported in Illinois resident

The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting a new case of Legionnaires’ disease in an Illinois resident, officials announced on Saturday.

No additional information about the resident, including their condition, was available. Health officials were gathering information about the person’s recent travels — including visits last month to a Springfield hotel and the Capitol Complex — to identify sources of exposure.

Water samples from the complex tested positive for Legionella recently, and a fourth recent case of the disease was reported Tuesday. Roughly 300 cases are reported each year.

Health officials said they announced the case “[o]ut of an abundance of caution.”

The state health department and Gov. Bruce Rauner have been criticized in recent months for their handling of a Legionnaires’ outbreak at the Illinois Veterans’ Home in downstate Quincy that has left 13 residents dead since 2015. Dozens more at the home have been sickened.

The disease, which is a potentially fatal type of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, can spread through water and water vapor. Symptoms include a high fever, chills and muscle pain.