Health officials in Kane County are investigating the source of an outbreak of legionellosis that sent four residents of the Batavia retirement home to the hospital.

Health officials in Kane County are investigating the source of an outbreak of legionellosis that sent four residents of the Batavia retirement home to the hospital.

Susan Stack, information officer for the Kane County Health Department, said the department was informed last Thursday that four residents of Covenant Living at the Holmstad in Batavia had been hospitalized with confirmed cases of legionnaires.

Stack said that she did not know if the four residents were still in the hospital or where they were treated and released. Legionnaires' disease is a serious lung infection that people can contract by breathing small droplets of water containing Legionella bacteria, according to the Department of Health. Outbreaks are most often associated with buildings or structures with complex water systems.

According to Stack, Health Department investigators have been in Covenant Living since Thursday night and have not yet identified the source.

"They're all combing through," Stack said. "Finding where this comes from is the number one priority."

Randy Eilts, director of public relations and communications for Covenant Living, said all residents and staff members had been made aware of the situation and that officials had planned to hold a meeting on Tuesday so residents could the opportunity to ask questions.

In a press release, the company said its primary goal was the well-being of the residents and took all the precautionary measures recommended by the Kane County Health Department and the Public Health Department of Kane County. 39; Illinois.

According to the statement, Covenant Living adheres to a strict water treatment plan to combat Legionella, which includes regular testing and treatment of water sources.

"They do everything right," Stack said of Covenant Living's leadership. "It's a great company to work with and they master it all."

Stack stated that legionnaires' disease did not spread through human-to-human contact and therefore did not pose a danger to the general public.

Eilts declined to say whether Covenant Living had restricted visitors' access. Stack said any visitor exposure to Legionella bacteria would likely be very limited.

In other recent outbreaks of the disease, health officials announced in mid-August that two cases related to a Schaumburg hotel had been confirmed. Last November, they also confirmed three cases in a senior community in McHenry.