Legionnaires’ cases linked to hotel may rise

ATLANTA — Days after officials confirmed the 11th case of Legionnaires’ disease related to the Sheraton Atlanta, the Georgia Department of Public Health announced that 55 more cases are “probable.”

The additional dozens of cases have not been confirmed in a lab, but they include people who had illnesses consistent with Legionnaires’ disease, such as pneumonia, the DPH said in a news release.

About two weeks ago, the downtown hotel shut down voluntarily after three guests who had recently visited or stayed there tested positive for the disease, which can cause a potentially serious lung infection, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. By Friday, that count had increased to 11.

People who are older than 50, have medical conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or diabetes, or have a history of smoking are the most likely to face dire effects. But no deaths have been reported, according to the DPH.

Investigators have yet to determine whether the hotel is indeed the source of the outbreak, but the Sheraton Atlanta will remain closed until at least Aug. 11.

DPH and Fulton County Board of Health investigators have been reviewing hundreds of survey responses from people who stayed or visited the hotel between June 12 and July 15. It could take weeks to parse through the surveys, the DPH said.

Investigators have also taken environmental samples for testing and remediation. The first round of environmental samples was collected July 19, and a second round of samples was collected Monday.

When testing hotels for Legionella bacteria, which cause Legionnaires’ disease, investigators typically begin in pools, hot tubs and water fountains, the most likely culprits of the bacterium, DPH spokeswoman Nancy Nydam said. The investigation can expand well beyond those water sources, stretching into the hotel’s water supply system, including the plumbing system, she said.

The Sheraton Atlanta may remain closed for several weeks longer, depending on

the test results and whether remediation is necessary.

Legionella bacteria are found naturally in freshwater environments, like lakes and streams, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But, the agency says, it can become a health concern when it grows and multiplies in human-made building water systems.

In Georgia, there have been close to 90 confirmed cases this year, according to the state Department of Public Health. Last year, there were 180 confirmed cases and nine suspected cases in the state. That’s up from 41 in 2008.

A variety of factors may be contributing to the increase, according to the CDC. More awareness of the disease could mean more reporting. But there’s also improved testing, and an aging population is more susceptible. Another factor could be more Legionella in the environment.

Officials stressed that the disease is not spread from person-to-person contact. The bacterium makes its way into the lungs of most people who become ill after they breathe in mist or steam infected with Legionella.

About one in 10 people who come down with Legionnaires’ disease will die due to complications from the illness, the CDC said.