Massachusetts Nursing Home; 4 Cases; June 2002

Four cases of Legionnaires' disease that occurred at a Massachusetts nursing home in June are being blamed on the building's hot water system. One of the cases occurred in an employee; the other three were in residents. Six environmental samples were collected after the cases were identified. Four of six tested positive for Legionella, three from showers and one from a whirlpool bath. The incoming water supply tested negative. The nursing home attempted to decontaminate the system via hot water flush.