Two More Legionnaire’s Disease Cases Identified

Two more Legionnaire’s pneumonia cases have been identified. The sixth case, in

an out of county resident, has a common link with the other five cases to the

Wenatchee Safeway store. The seventh case remains under investigation. All

seven cases appear to involve exposures occurring during the same period

between mid‐September and the end of October.

This disease is a rare but serious form of pneumonia. People get the disease from

inhaling droplets infected with the Legionella bacterium. You cannot get this

illness from an ill person.

No positive results showing the presence of the legionella bacterium have been

detected in environmental samples taken at the store. That is not uncommon in

legionella investigations, since in many cases the bacteria present weeks earlier at

the time of infection are no longer present at the time the outbreak becomes

apparent and samples can be taken.

Public Health and Safeway officials continue to work together to prevent any

further cases.