 |
Each year, between 8000 and 18000 people are hospitalized with Legionnaires' disease in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Between 5 percent and 30 percent of those affected die. Between two and three dozen ...
The Allegheny County Health Department is investigating what caused 10 people to be sickened with Legionnaires' disease at two Turtle Creek retirement homes.
Dr. Bruce Dixon, director of the health department, said eight people were sickened at LGAR Health & Rehabilitation Center and two at the nearby Hamilton Hills Personal Care Home. Three of them had to be hospitalized for pneumonia-like symptoms.
Dixon said his department is investigating the domestic water supply, which may be the source of the Legionella bacteria. The elderly and those with lung diseases are more at-risk of experiencing symptoms, he said, which include a high fever, chills and a cough. Some people also may suffer from muscle aches and headaches.
Each year, between 8,000 and 18,000 people are hospitalized with Legionnaires' disease in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Between 5 percent and 30 percent of those affected die.
Between two and three dozen cases are reported in Allegheny County each year, Dixon said. For more information or questions, call the Allegheny County Health Department at 412-687-2243.