Update: 39 people were sickened in this outbreak, and 6 of them died.
To date, 4 people have died from Legionnaires’ disease at Wesley Ridge Retirement Community in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. At least 35 Wesley Ridge residents have contracted the illness, which is a severe form of pneumonia caused by inhaling water mist containing Legionella bacteria. 28 of the 35 have been hospitalized.
Legionella was found in the air-conditioning cooling tower and elsewhere in the Wesley Ridge facility, located at 2225 Taylor Park Drive.
The elderly are particularly at risk of severe Legionella pneumonia and death, so everything possible should be done to prevent Legionnaires’ outbreaks in nursing homes. Many of the visitors to nursing homes are also elderly, and even breathing in a small amount of Legionella bacteria can cause illness. In this outbreak, employees, residents and visitors have been sickened, all ranging in age from 63 to 99.
Legionnaires’ disease symptoms usually develop within 10 days of exposure to the bacteria and can include fever, chills, coughing, muscle aches, headaches, fatigue and loss of appetite.
Wesley Ridge Retirement Community is in Franklin County, and is an eastern suburb of Columbus, Ohio. Six of the last 13 outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease in Ohio have been located in Franklin County.
Attorneys Fred Pritzker and Eric Hageman are lead lawyers for our Legionnaires’ disease personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits. You can contact them for a FREE consultation here.
