Reportedly, eight residents have contracted the deadly virus since October 2010 and five have died. State health officials suspect that the virus may have been spread due to the nursing home’s neglect in using a single lancing device on multiple residents while monitoring glucose levels. According to the Division of Health Service Regulation representative Jeff Horton, “The best standard of practice is if you’re going to use one machine for multiple residents you have to disinfect that machine between each resident. Also, the pins that are used to lance the finger, to draw the blood, each resident should have their own pin.”

The facility will be assessed two fines in this incident and have until November 19 to improve safety issues. If the facility is not in compliance by this date, then fines will be assessed daily.