Report of 4th recent Legionnaires' case at veterans home comes soon after Democrats call for more

Report of 4th recent Legionnaires' case at veterans home comes soon after Democrats call for more action

The Illinois Department of Public Health on Tuesday announced a fourth case of Legionnaires’ disease in recent weeks at the state-run veterans home in Quincy, a notice that came just hours after Senate Democrats held the latest in a series of hearings about the outbreaks.

The latest patient is in stable condition, according to the agency. At the hearing in Springfield, Democrats criticized Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration for not showing up to answer questions.

State Sen. Tom Cullerton, D-Villa Park, said it was “disheartening” that the directors overseeing the state’s public health and veterans affairs agencies did not attend, adding that he will reschedule a hearing for a time when the administration “would feel more comfortable answering questions.”

Republican lawmakers shot back that administration officials were not given enough time to prepare for the meeting, which was organized after the late Friday release of a report about water treatment options that suggested plumbing updates at the Quincy home could be less expensive than previous estimates.

Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-bruce-rauner-legionnaires-quincy-20180220-story.html