Outbreak Of Legionnaires’ Disease Reported At Senior Rehab Facility In Wenatchee

A rehabilitation center for senior citizens in the Wenatchee Valley is taking precautions after an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease.

Colonial Vista Post-Acute & Rehabilitation announced the outbreak in a social media post on Monday, stating that higher-than-normal traces of the bacteria which causes the illness - Legionella, were detected in the facility's water supply over a month ago.

Officials with Colonial Vista say they immediately notified the Chelan-Douglas Health District about the discovery and activated a plan to treat the facility's water system with the oversight of health officials.

Get our free mobile app

Legionella is a naturally-occurring bacterium which is commonly found in natural bodies of water such as lakes and rivers that can infiltrate human-built hydro systems like water tanks and towers where it can live and propagate.

Although the bacterium itself is widespread, the infection it can cause is not, with those who acquire Legionnaires' typically requiring frequent and lengthy exposure to the pathogen in order to contract the illness.

Those with underlying health conditions and weakened immune systems are also more susceptible to the disease, which is primarily spread through water vapor or aerosolized droplets rather than drinking or direct contact with any water that contains the bacterium.

The illness is not communicable between people and is considered a serious type of pneumonia which primarily impacts the respiratory system.

Legionnaires' can prove fatal, especially in the elderly, with 10 deaths attributed to the disease out of 133 reported cases in Washington state in 2024.

Health officials aren't saying how many residents at the Colonial Vista facility have been sickened by the current outbreak, but the number is likely below ten, since that figure marks the legal threshold for publicly reporting cases.