Provisional — subject to revision

Nursing home, Thornville, Ohio (Fairfield County)

Legionnaires’ disease outbreak · Jul-Aug 2026 · Ohio

8
Cases: 0
Deaths: Under Investigation
Status

Suspected source

nursing home water system (Senior living / assisted)

What happened

The Fairfield County Health Department is investigating a Legionnaires' disease outbreak at Country Lane Gardens, a 99-bed long-term care facility in Thornville, Ohio, north of Lancaster. The county health commissioner said the first case was identified July 29, 2026 and a second the following day; eight cases had been confirmed as of August 5, 2026, all of them hospitalized at some point and no deaths reported. The facility is served by a private well; officials said the bacteria originates somewhere between the well and the faucet rather than in the well itself, and the exact point in the water system has not been pinpointed. Filters have been installed on faucets and shower heads, and an independent lab is testing the water while Fairfield Public Health, the Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio EPA work to identify the source. Officials have said the case count could rise. Figures are provisional.

Sources & coverage

In-depth reporting on this and other Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks is available from Pritzker Hageman’s Legionnaires’ disease resource center.

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Primary source: nursing home water system. Figures are provisional and may be revised or withdrawn by the reporting authority. This page is for information only and is not medical or legal advice.

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