While no residents have reported illness and there are no confirmed cases of infection due to the pathogen, the Pennsylvania Department of Public Health and Veterans Affairs have implemented a protocol in case residents report symptoms.
“We are closely monitoring our residents and staff for any Legionella-related symptoms while we begin the process of disinfecting the water treatment system,” Rohan Blackwood, commandant at Southeastern Veterans’ Center, said in a statement. “We are taking aggressive steps to rectify the situation in the next 24 hours. The safety and well-being of the people that live and work here every day is our number one priority.”
The water will be retested on Sept. 29. In the interim, a variety of measures are being taken to sanitize the water treatment system and mitigate risk of infection from the bacteria.
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