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DANVILLE, Ill. (AP) — A Veterans Affairs medical building that serves veterans in Illinois and Indiana is infested by fleas, probably brought in by the raccoons living there during the summer, a VA spokesman says.
Pest control workers are handling the problem at the Danville campus of the VA Illiana Health Care System, the (Danville) Commercial-News reported (http://bit.ly/1VKNcrd ).
VA spokesman Wade Habshey said it started when construction work disturbed the exterior of a medical building, allowing raccoons to move in. A pest control company trapped and removed the raccoons. The flea infestation was noticed in August.
Some imaging services have been relocated temporarily as the building undergoes a series of treatments to get rid of the fleas, Habshey said. Abatement will continue as long as necessary to get the problem cleaned up, he said.
"In addition, the engineering department closed the openings from the outside that we found where the raccoons could have been gaining access to that area," Habshey said.
The Danville VA serves veterans in 34 counties in central Illinois and western Indiana.
"(Illiana) officials are working hard with their partners to eradicate the flea infestation," Habshey said in a news release. "Providing a safe treatment and work environment for our patients and staff is a top priority at the VA."
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Information from: Commercial-News, http://www.dancomnews.com
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