The Illinois Department of Public health has confirmed a case of Legionnaires’ disease at the state-run Shapiro Developmental Center in Kankakee, Capitol News Illinois has learned.
In a joint statement from IDPH and the Illinois Department of Human Services released late Tuesday, the agencies confirmed a single case at Shapiro Center — home to adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
“Immediate control measures were taken to restrict use of potential sources of exposure, and testing those sources is underway,” the agencies said in a statement. “Those test results are still pending. IDPH and IDHS continue to work with facility staff to ensure all appropriate safety measures are implemented, including monitoring staff and residents for symptoms of Legionnaire’s disease, and prompt testing as needed.”
The state declined to comment on the condition of the Shapiro resident who tested positive, citing patient confidentiality.
Legionnaires’ disease is a serious type of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, treatable by antibiotics, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Symptoms include cough, fever, headaches, muscle aches and shortness of breath. Other symptoms, such as confusion, diarrhea, or nausea can also occur. Though most healthy people who are exposed to Legionella bacteria don’t get sick, older people, smokers or those with weakened immune systems can develop symptoms. It can result in lung failure or death.
Shapiro currently is home to 464 adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities — with 44% considered profoundly disabled and 86% on a behavior intervention program.
“Shapiro Center serves people who exhibit severe behavioral problems, have significant medical issues, and are medically fragile,” according to the DHS website.
About one in 10 people who contract Legionnaires’ disease will die due to complications from their illness, according to the CDC. But for those who live in a health care facility the rate of death increases to one in four.
Illinois experienced a previous outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in a state-operated facility in 2015. From 2015 to 2018, the Illinois Veterans’ Home at Quincy faced deadly Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks, killing 13 residents.
Former Attorney General Lisa Madigan launched a criminal investigation into the former Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration’s handling of the outbreak of the cases at Quincy. An audit of the Rauner administration’s actions later revealed delayed responses, mishandling and poor communication in the response.
The cause in the Quincy cases was traced to contaminated water systems. The site recently reopened late last year after major water systems were overhauled, including a water tank that was out of service for a couple of months in 2015, just before the outbreak.
The report found that while the tank was out of service, the water inside was unheated then went back into the system. Two weeks later, the initial outbreak was identified. The CDC recommended filters be installed on all fixtures in the hot water system.
In October, the new Illinois Veterans’ Home at Quincy reopened — after a nearly $300 million renovation through the Rebuild Illinois capital program. The Illinois Veterans’ Home can house 467 veterans.
This is the latest blow to Illinois’ state-operated developmental centers. In 2023, Capitol News Illinois and ProPublica investigated reports of abuse and neglect at the Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center, located in deep southern Illinois, as well as other problems at state-operated developmental centers.
Last year, the U.S. Department of Justice opened an investigation into Choate, as well as the Jack Mabley Developmental Center in Dixon and the Shapiro Developmental Center, three of the seven state-operated residential institutions operated by IDHS.
The investigation was to probe Illinois’ treatment of people with developmental disabilities, examining whether the state provides adequate resources for community living and protects residents from harm in public institutions.
Illinois continues to have one of the highest rates of institutionalization of people with intellectual or developmental disabilities in the United States. There are presently about 1,500 living in seven state-operated developmental centers. Shapiro has the largest number of individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities, according to census data provided by the Illinois Department of Human Services.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.